Federal Bunk Bed Safety Guidelines

Bunk bed safety is a huge issue for parents who have bunk beds or who are looking to get a bunk bed. If you are looking to get a bunk bed, then you need to know the most current safety measures. Let's take a look at the most current regulations from the federal government.

Currently the Consumer Product Safety Commission requires the following as noted on their website:

Guardrails:
(1) Bunk beds must have at least two upper bunk guardrails, with at least one rail on each side.
Lower bunks with mattress foundations that are 30 inches or less from the floor do not have to have guardrails.
(2) The guardrail on the side of the bed next to a wall or on the side opposite to a ladder must run
continuously from one end of the bed to the other. If the guardrail does not attach to an end of the bed, the gap between the end of the guardrail and the nearest end of the bunk bed cannot be greater than 0.22 inches.
(3) A guardrail on the side of the bed away from the wall does not have to run continuously from end to end of the bed, BUT the distance between either end of the guardrail and the end of the bed nearest to it cannot be greater than 15 inches.
(4) Guardrails must be attached to the bunk bed with fasteners that you have to release to take the rails off OR they must require you to move them in two or more different directions, one after the other, to take them off.
(5) The tops of the guardrails must be no less than 5 inches above the top of the mattress.
(6) When you take the mattress off the upper bunk, any space between the bottom of the guardrail and the top of the mattress foundation must not let the wedge block described below pass through freely.

Bunk Bed Ends:
(1) No opening in either end of the upper bunk that is above the mattress foundation can let the wedge block pass through freely.
(2) When you use the thickest mattress and mattress foundation recommended by the manufacturer, the top of each end of the upper bunk must be at least 5 inches above the top of the mattress for at least half of the distance between the posts on each side of the end.
(3) No opening in either end of the lower bunk below the mattress foundation of the upper bunk and above the mattress foundation of the lower bunk can permit the wedge block to pass through freely, UNLESS the opening also allows a rigid 9 inch sphere to pass through it freely.
(4) Any opening in either end of the lower bunk below the mattress foundation of the upper bunk that is tested with the wedge block must also be tested for the risk of neck entrapment if the opening lets the 9 inch sphere pass though freely.

These are the guidelines set up by the federal government to ensure the safety for bunk beds. You still have to be careful around bunk beds but these rules have helped to make them safer for everyone. Please make sure to double check the measurements on the bunk bed before you buy it. Bunk beds are always made the same.

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