ASTM International’s committee on consumer products (F15) creates standards that help keep products safe, covering everything from children’s toys (F963) to hot tub covers (F1346) to inflatable air mattresses (F2755). Here, three committee members who represent the consumer gave their takes on standards and the industry: Brett Horn (founder of the non-profit Charlie’s House and past chairman of Parents Against Tip-Overs); Edward Quigley (creator of BeachUmbrellaSafety.org); and Courtney Griffin (director of consumer product safety with Consumer Federation of America).

They spoke about why the consumer’s perspective is essential to creating well-rounded safety standards and why it’s important to get involved and make your voice heard. 

Q: Why is it important to have consumers contribute to the standards development process for F15?

Brett Horn: Consumers often provide the “why” behind the need for a strong and effective standard, providing reminders of the primary goal of safety. Higher safety standards then force manufacturers and retailers to innovate and sell safer, more reliable products. 

Edward Quigley: I can’t think of a product created or sold that does not impact a consumer. Even steel in a skyscraper, if it does not have the appropriate properties, can impact a consumer’s safety, although unseen and mostly not thought about by the consumer. I feel my participation in F15.79 [the subcommittee on market umbrellas] was important to bring the perspective of a consumer who not only has been the user of beach umbrellas for decades, but is a consumer who learned in a dramatic way that beach umbrellas without an adequate anchor device can be deadly.

The oak shaft of a windblown beach umbrella penetrated my left eye and breached my brain cavity. I died on the operating table during brain surgery and fortunately, they were able to bring me back. I feel that my participation helped bring the reality of the danger to all who participated in the subcommittee.

Courtney Griffin: Consumer participation in the standards-development process for F15 is crucial for several reasons. First, consumers provide first-hand experience on how products may be perceived and used in the marketplace. Consumers can identify important facts about product usage that may be overlooked by other stakeholders. Second, consumer participation leads to safer, better products because consumer input can identify risks, prevent injuries, and improve quality. Third, consumer representation ensures a balance of interests in the process, which is valuable to consumers, industry, and regulators. 

Q: Can you give an example of how having multiple perspectives improved the quality of a standard?

Horn: Most members who serve on a voluntary standards committee are there for the right reasons, to prevent injury to consumers, however, they often have greatly different perspectives. The potential to derail a strong safety standard can exist if all perspectives are not at the table. Typically, consumers and manufacturers have different points of view. The consensus process is key to achieving an effective, productive safety standard.

Quigley: There were tugs of war on a number of aspects of the F3681 safety standard [for beach umbrellas and anchor devices]. One example is the discussion concerning a “warning label.” A specific label is prescribed by the standard to be placed in the canopy of the beach umbrella, but it was difficult to get everyone on the same page about how to accomplish this. I believe my added perspective about the importance of communicating that the general public is not aware of the danger was critical. 

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Until my accident, almost every year at the beach I would grab a windblown umbrella as it blew down the beach. I would fold it up and just hand it back to the user of the umbrella with the words, “Here you go. Have a great day!” Even after decades of spending time on beaches, I didn’t know there was a danger until my accident happened. The education of consumers concerning the danger and preventive measures to be taken would not be possible without the scientifically gathered and validated data gained as a part of the ASTM standard-development process. Having engineers and experts involved was vital. However, there must be a balance that comes from multiple perspectives. As a citizen consumer, my motivation is the safety of the users of beach umbrellas and their fellow beach goers.

Griffin: The robust dialogues that multiple perspectives provide improves the quality of a voluntary standard for consumer products. A common and effective illustration of this point is drop-side cribs. Because of consumer representatives and other stakeholders, drop-side cribs and the hazards the product presented were eliminated. By focusing on real-world issues, usage, and safety concerns, consumer representatives helped to improve safety standards. This example demonstrates the importance of multiple viewpoints, including those of consumers, in the standards-development process.

Q: What are some notable successes you’ve achieved or witnessed with ASTM in relation to consumer safety?

Horn: The best personal example I have of a success within F15 is the furniture safety subcommittee (F15.42). After a good deal of struggle to advance a safety standard to prevent tip-overs, I and other consumer advocates got involved in the subcommittee. Through a lot of hard work, some conflict, and a lot of patience, the consumers, manufacturers, retailers, and other stakeholders eventually compromised on a significantly more stringent stability standard, which finally addressed the real-world reasons dressers were tipping over and injuring or killing children.

Quigley: The collaboration between the CPSC [Consumer Product Safety Commission] engineers and experts assigned to test beach umbrellas in wind conditions and the task group manufacturer and retailer participants was gratifying. Although the long development and voting process was frustrating because of my desire for quick progress toward the publishing of the standard, I truly appreciate the credence and validity that the ASTM process gives to the standard. It was very gratifying that the CPSC updated the guidance they provide to consumers using the ASTM standard [F3681].

Griffin: I am excited about the work the subcommittee on connected products has done and will continue to do. In particular, a great deal of thought and effort has gone into the standard guide, which provides important information for manufacturers and designers of consumer products, with a focus on physical safety hazards related to connectivity.

Q: Can you give a real-world example of how standards have improved consumer safety? 

Horn: The furniture-stability standard we developed in the furniture safety subcommittee was then adopted by the CPSC through the passage of The STURDY Act by Congress in December of 2022, which now makes the ASTM standard we developed together a mandatory rule for any dresser sold in the U.S. Children are safer as a result.

Quigley: Now that the F3681 standard has been published, it has been the topic of national and local news. Newly manufactured umbrellas and anchor devices can carry the warning label, compliance label, and enhanced user instructions prescribed by the standard. Testing methods to determine if an anchor device is adequate for a beach umbrella were incorporated into the standard. It’s early still, but the knowledge and safety information developed and incorporated into the standard will eventually have significant impact and adoption.

READ MORE: Safer Connected Consumer Products

Griffin: There are many examples of tireless advocacy from parents, as well as leaders like Nancy Cowles (formerly of Kids in Danger) that have improved voluntary standards and made the world safer for children. For instance, Parents Against Tip-Overs spent decades working within the voluntary standard space to drive change. With the STURDY Act and F2057 [the standard safety specification for clothing storage units], there are now more stringent requirements and tests to address real-world causes of injuries and death. 

I also think about Parents for Window Blind Safety, an organization that has been working to eliminate the hidden hazard of window cords in homes for many years. Because of Linda Kaiser’s role in a variety of spaces, including voluntary standards development, cordless blinds are more available than ever. The magnitude of the work done by consumer representatives involved in these efforts cannot be overstated, as they have identified critical real-world issues and lifesaving solutions.

Q: How did you become involved with ASTM, and would you recommend that others get involved?

Horn: My involvement in ASTM was through the tragic loss of my two-and-a-half year-old son, Charlie, who was killed by a clothing dresser. After learning that this was a systematic problem, and thousands of children were being injured each year from dressers tipping over, I wanted to get involved to find a solution so this problem wouldn’t happen to others.

However, an effective consumer member does not have to be a “victim” of a specific product. To get involved, go to the ASTM website and find a subcommittee that may have interest to you. Your voice is important and appreciated. 

Quigley: The year after my accident, which occurred in 2015, I developed the website BeachUmbrellaSafety.org. I was on local and national TV talking about beach umbrella safety. I believe that because of that exposure, I was invited to participate in F15.79. I always felt that my participation, contributions, and perspective, which included a sense of urgency, were appreciated and valued. We don’t have many opportunities in life to make a difference in the world. I feel that participation in the development of F3681 gave me that opportunity. I would encourage anyone with an interest in guiding the advancement of safety and quality of life to get involved.

Griffin: Voluntary standards are a critical part of my role as a consumer advocate at the Consumer Federation of America. Consumer participation fosters transparency and accountability. Consumer participation is necessary to ensure that all stakeholders are prioritizing safety and quality in product design. Participation also empowers consumers by giving consumers a direct voice to shape the rules that govern our everyday products. Ultimately, I always recommend consumers participate in standards development so that we can drive positive changes and raise awareness of real-world issues. ●

Donovan Swift is managing editor of Standardization News.