
Child-resistant packaging or CR packaging is special
packaging
Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a coo ...
used to reduce the risk of children ingesting hazardous materials. This is often accomplished by the use of a special safety cap. It is required by regulation for prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, Nicotine Containing Electronic Cigarette devices or Refill containers that can contain Nicotine EUTPD 36.7
pesticide
Pesticides are substances that are used to control pests. They include herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, and many others (see table). The most common of these are herbicides, which account for approximately 50% of all p ...
s, and household chemicals. In some jurisdictions, ''unit packaging'' such as
blister packs is also regulated for child safety.
The
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated in a press release that "There is no such thing as child-proof packaging. So you shouldn't think of packaging as your primary line of defense. Rather, you should think of packaging, even child-resistant packaging, as your last line of defense."
Background
The child-resistant locking closure for containers was invented in 1967 by Dr.
Henri Breault.
A history of accidents involving children opening household packaging and ingesting the contents led the United States Congress to pass the
Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970, authored by
U.S. Senator Frank E. Moss of
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
. This gave the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission the authority to regulate this area. Additions throughout the decades have increased the initial coverage to include other hazardous items, including chemicals regulated by the
Environmental Protection Agency. Although child-resistant lids are not perfect, there is strong evidence that use of child-resistant lids has reduced child poisoning rates in the United
States substantially. Coordination exists for improving
international standard
An international standard is a technical standard developed by one or more international standards organizations. International standards are available for consideration and use worldwide. The most prominent such organization is the International O ...
s on requirements and protocols.
Difficulty opening
Child-resistant packaging can be a problem for some aged individuals or people with disabilities. Regulations require designs to be tested to verify that most adults can access the package. Some jurisdictions allow pharmacists to provide medications in non-CR packages when there are no children in the same house.
Requirements
The regulations are based on protocols of
performance tests of packages with actual children, to determine if the packages can be opened. More recently, additional
package testing
Package testing or packaging testing involves the measurement of a characteristic or property involved with packaging. This includes packaging materials, packaging components, primary packages, shipping containers, and unit loads, as well as th ...
is used to determine if aged individuals or people with disabilities have the ability to open the same packages.
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Often the CR requirements are met by package closures which require two dissimilar motions for opening. Hundreds of package designs are available for packagers to consider.
Standards
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ISO
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ; ; ) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries.
Me ...
8317 Child-resistant packaging - Requirements and testing procedures for reclosable packages.
* ISO 13127 Packaging—Child resistant packaging—Mechanical test methods for reclosable child resistant packaging systems
*
ASTM
ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is a standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical international standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems and s ...
D3475, Standard Classification for Child-Resistant Packages
* ASTM F3159, Consumer Safety Specification for Liquid Laundry Packets
* ASTM F2517-17 Standard Specification for Determination of Child Resistance of Portable Fuel Containers for Consumer Use
See also
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Child safety lock
*
Childproof
*
Over-the-counter drug
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid pres ...
*
Package pilferage
*
Pharmaceutical
Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...
*
Screw cap
*
Tamper resistance
Tamperproofing is a methodology used to hinder, deter or detect unauthorised access to a device or circumvention of a security system. Since any device or system can be foiled by a person with sufficient knowledge, equipment, and time, the term " ...
*
United States Pharmacopeia
The ''United States Pharmacopeia'' (''USP'') is a pharmacopeia (compendium of drug information) for the United States published annually by the over 200-year old United States Pharmacopeial Convention (usually also called the USP), a nonprofi ...
Citations
General and cited references
* Lockhart, H., and Paine, F.A., ''Packaging of Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Products'', 2006, Blackie,
* Yam, K. L., ''Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology'', John Wiley & Sons, 2009,
External links
Institute of Packaging ProfessionalsPackaging Association of Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Child-Resistant Packaging
Child safety
Packaging