This consumer safety specification addresses certain Bathing Area accidents. It also addresses the safe performance required of accessory items installed in the Bathing Area. This specification is intended to reduce the number of accidents by specifying requirements for grab bars and accessories designed to decrease the probability of slips and falls.
This consumer safety specification addresses certain Bathing Area accidents. It also addresses the safe performance required of accessory items installed in the Bathing Area. This specification is intended to reduce the number of accidents by specifying requirements for grab bars and accessories designed to decrease the probability of slips and falls.
This consumer safety specification addresses certain Bathing Area accidents. It also addresses the safe performance required of accessory items installed in the Bathing Area. This specification is intended to reduce the number of accidents by specifying requirements for grab bars and accessories designed to decrease the probability of slips and falls.
Grab Bars and Accessories Installed in the Bathing Area 1 This standard is issued under the xed designation F 446; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval. This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense. INTRODUCTION This consumer safety specication addresses certain bathing area accidents that were identied by the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), specically those which might have been prevented by the presence of adequate grab bars. This specication also addresses the safe performance required of accessory items installed in the bathing area. Available data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) were studied by Abt Associates, Inc., with assistance from Researchitects Inc., and reported to the CPSC. This information was made available to ASTM Task Group F15.03. It was reviewed along with other information appropriate to the subject and became the basis for developing this specication. The information reviewed indicated that slips and falls frequently occur while entering or leaving the tub, while changing between a sitting or standing position, or while moving around in the bathing area. This specication establishes parameters as to strength, location, and general requirements of grab bars and accessories to assist movement and reduce hazards in the bathing area. 1. Scope 1.1 This consumer safety specication covers performance requirements, test methods, and levels of performance to ensure satisfactory functioning of the grab bars and accessory items (not including plumbing controls) during reasonable use to assist a person entering, leaving, or moving within the bathing area. 1.2 This consumer safety specication is intended to reduce the number of accidents by specifying requirements for grab bars and accessories designed to decrease the probability of slips and falls. 1.3 This consumer safety specication does not address the specic need of gang showers, island tubs, peninsula tubs, sunken tubs, or tubs 6 ft (1.8 m) or longer. 1.4 This consumer safety specication exempts shower stalls with both interior dimensions of 34 in. (864 mm) or less. 1.5 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test method portion, Section 7, of this specication. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limita- tions prior to use. 2. Denitions 2.1 back wallthe wall opposite the exit-entry side of a tub or shower (see Figs. 1-4). 2.2 bathing areathe bathing space that consists of a tub, tub-shower, or shower stall bounded by four walls, real or imaginary, extending vertically to the ceiling from the outside edge of the tub or stall (see Figs. 1-4). 2.3 bathing area accessoriestowel bars, towel rings, soap holders, towel utility shelves, and other similar devices that are intended to be permanently affixed to surfaces and used in the bathing area. 2.4 critical support areathat portion of the back, service, or nonservice wall in which support would most likely be benecial in four different bathing areas (see Figs. 1-4 for specic requirements in this area). 2.5 grab-bara bar or similar device made for the purpose of assisting a person in movement within the bathing area and for assistance in entering or exiting the bathing area. Some- times referred to in the industry as hand holds. 2.6 nonservice wallany wall excluding the back wall within the bathing area that does not contain plumbing service. 2.7 plumbing controlsthe valves, spouts, and shower head or ttings, or both, that allow the user to control the water ow and temperature. 2.8 potential hazard areaany surface within the bathing area, including bathtub or shower receptor from tub or shower oor up to 66 in. (1.7 m), which could be contacted by the body in a slip or fall situation. 1 This specication is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F15 on Consumer Products and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F15.03 on Safety Standards for Bathtub and Shower Structures. Current edition approved Aug. 23, 1985. Published November 1985. Originally published as F446-78. Last previous edition F446-78. 1 Copyright ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States. COPYRIGHT American Society for Testing and Materials Licensed by Information Handling Services 2.9 recessed tuba bathtub enclosed by and attached to two or three walls without shower facilities. 2.10 service back wallthe wall opposite the exit-entry side of the tub or shower that serves as a back wall as well as the location of controls. 2.11 service wallthe wall within the bathing area upon which the plumbing controls are located. 2.12 shower receptora basin-like device in a shower that catches the water and directs it into the drain. 2.13 shower stalla two- or three-wall enclosure with a shower receptor and plumbing controls for shower bathing. 2.14 tub-showera recessed tub with a shower head. 2.15 tub or shower entrance areathe place where an individual enters and exits from a tub or shower, or both. 3. Compliance 3.1 No grab bar or accessory shall either by label or other means indicate compliance with this specication unless it conforms to all requirements contained herein. 4. General Requirements 4.1 Grab bars, accessories, their fastening devices, and trim shall be free of exposed burrs, sharp edges, and pinch points when mounted in their functional positions. 4.2 Grab bars are to be installed in the critical support area in accordance with 5.1.1-5.2. 4.3 Accessories mounted in the potential hazard area shall meet the requirements of 4.5 if they project more than 1 in. (25 mm). Projecting soap dishes without rails or bars are exempt FIG. 1 Recessed Tub Bathing Area FIG. 2 Recessed Tub-Shower Bathing Area F 446 2 COPYRIGHT American Society for Testing and Materials Licensed by Information Handling Services when installed outside of the critical support area. 4.4 All grab bars or accessories shall have anges or other devices to allow mounting to a wall with suitable fasteners or products. 4.5 All grab bars or accessories in the potential hazard area that project more than 1 in. (25 mm) when properly installed shall support a static load of at least 250 lbf (1.1 kN) when tested in accordance with Section 7. 4.6 Grab bars or projecting accessory bars shall not rotate more than 1 16 of a turn within their holding devices. 4.7 All parts or products shall be capable of resisting deterioration in the environment to which they are exposed to the degree that the intended performance of the device or system will not be adversely affected within the average normal life expectancy of the device or system. 5. Installation Requirements 5.1 Recessed Tub With or Without Showering Facilities: 5.1.1 A horizontal grab bar or bars shall be installed on the back-wall critical support area with a total minimum length equal to 30 % of the horizontal length of the critical support area. 5.1.2 A horizontal or vertical grab bar or bars shall be installed in the critical support area on either the service wall or nonservice wall. The horizontal bar or bars shall provide a minimum grippable length of 9 in. (230 mm) (see Fig. 5) within the critical support area. The vertical bar shall provide a minimum grippable length of 6 in. (152 mm) (see Fig. 5) and shall be installed in the tub entrance area. 5.2 Shower StallA horizontal grab bar or bars shall be installed in the critical support area on either the service wall, back wall, or nonservice wall. The bar shall provide a mini- mum grippable length of 9 in. (230 mm) of the critical support area. FIG. 3 Two-Wall Stall Shower Bathing Area FIG. 4 Three-Wall Stall Shower Bathing Area F 446 3 COPYRIGHT American Society for Testing and Materials Licensed by Information Handling Services 6. Instructions and Warnings 6.1 Grab bars and accessories that are to be installed in the potential hazard area, as dened in 2.8, shall be accompanied by installation instructions that, if followed, will assure that the grab bar or accessory as installed meets all of the requirements of Sections 4 and 5 of this specication. 6.2 Warnings against careless or improper installation shall also be given. 6.3 Instructions shall make recommendations as to the location of grab bars. 7. Test Methods 7.1 The signicance of this procedure is to determine whether grab bars and projecting accessories conform with 4.5. 7.2 Grab BarsAttach the bar to a section of a wall, reecting typical building construction found in bathing areas, with suitable fasteners or products in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. 7.2.1 Bar Mounted HorizontallyGradually apply a down- ward load of at least 250 lbf (1.1 kN) continuously or in 5 to 50-lbf (22 to 222-N) increments over a maximum 3 1 2-in. (89-mm) section in the center of the bar or a section centered between supports. 7.2.2 Bar Mounted VerticallyGradually apply a down- ward load of at least 250 lbf (1.1 kN) continuously or in 5 to 50-lbf (22 to 222-N) increments over a maximum 3 1 2-in. (89-mm) section of the lower half of a vertically mounted grab bar, pulling at a 30 6 5-deg angle from the wall that the bar is mounted on. 7.2.3 Weight should be applied within a 30-min period and once 250 lbf (1.1 kN) is reached, it should remain so for at least 5 min. 7.2.4 The bar or wall shall not break or fail under the load. Break or failure means that during the testing procedure the bar or accessory was affected in such a way that it ceased to provide the safety characteristics required to maintain balance, to prevent falling, or to aid in exit or entry. 7.3 Bathing Area AccessoriesTest bathing area accesso- ries that project more than 1 in. (25 mm) by a suitable method that shall be devised by the manufacturer to support a load, as stated in 7.2.1, over a maximum 3 1 2-in. (89-mm) span. The American Society for Testing and Materials takes no position respecting the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentioned in this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the risk of infringement of such rights, are entirely their own responsibility. This standard is subject to revision at any time by the responsible technical committee and must be reviewed every ve years and if not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your comments are invited either for revision of this standard or for additional standards and should be addressed to ASTM Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a meeting of the responsible technical committee, which you may attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair hearing you should make your views known to the ASTM Committee on Standards, at the address shown below. This standard is copyrighted by ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA19428-2959, United States. Individual reprints (single or multiple copies) of this standard may be obtained by contacting ASTM at the above address or at 610-832-9585 (phone), 610-832-9555 (fax), or service@astm.org (e-mail); or through the ASTM website (www.astm.org). FIG. 5 Typical Applications of Grab Bars F 446 4 COPYRIGHT American Society for Testing and Materials Licensed by Information Handling Services