USA Consumer Safety Specifications for Bunk Beds

Benefits

• Bunk beds are great space savers, so they are popular choices for dormitories, prisons or other high-occupancy sleeping arrangements and for small houses or apartments. They are also a good choice for parents whose children share a bedroom.

Purpose

• The bunk bed regulations exist to protect the safety of children. They guide manufacturers so that children will not be killed or injured by falling from bunk beds, becoming entrapped between the bed and a wall, or getting their heads or limbs stuck in guard rails. The safety specifications contain detailed drawings that manufacturers use in their technical designs and production processes to ensure that their beds meet the required safety standards.

Guardrails

• Each major side of the upper bunk of a bunk bed must have at least one guardrail. Guardrails are not required on the lower bunk if the mattress foundation is 30 inches or less from the floor. The guardrail closest to a wall or opposite a ladder should ideally be continuous from one end of the bed to the other. No gaps of more than 0.22 inches are allowed between the rail and the end of the bed. Gaps are allowed on the side of the bed facing away from a wall, but the maximum gap size between the rail and the end of the bed is 15 inches. Guardrails are required to be at least five inches higher than the top of the mattress, and any guardrail fasteners must meet specified security requirements.

Bunk Bed Ends

• The regulations for bunk bed ends state that the top ends of the upper bunk must be five inches higher than the thickest mattress and mattress frame recommended for a particular bed. Additionally, openings in the upper and lower bunks must meet size requirements to ensure that there is no danger of neck entrapment for children.

Requirements

• All bunk beds must carry a warning label and a label clearly stating the manufacturer's details. Bunk beds cannot have sharp points or edges, especially if made specifically for children, and they cannot be painted with lead-based paints.