WASHINGTON – Today, ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner  and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) are urging the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) to work with American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) International, a nonprofit that recently released safety standards to address hazards posed by detached and flyaway beach umbrellas, to evaluate and finalize these new standards.

CPSC estimates that nearly 3,000 individuals across the country are sent to the emergency room each year due to umbrella-related accidents. This includes last week’s incident in Cocoa Beach, Florida, as well as the tragic 2016 death of Lottie Michelle Belk of Chester, Va. who was struck in the torso and killed while vacationing in Virginia Beach with her family.

“As we enter the Fourth of July holiday weekend, with millions of Americans enjoying our country’s beaches, lakes, and rivers, it is vital that beachgoers are safe from dislodged beach umbrellas. Improperly secured umbrellas can result in death or serious injury. We believe that recent actions by CPSC and the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM), including the release earlier this year of the ASTM F3681-24 safety standard, are good steps forward. We urge CPSC and industry to work together quickly to finish any outstanding suggested improvements or other modifications to this standard,” the Senators wrote.

They continued, “As the Beach Umbrellas Task Group continues to consider additional guidance and safety improvements to the ASTM F3681-24 standard, it is important that the group move swiftly and with thoroughness. We encourage the group to evaluate the full scope and harm of unsecured beach umbrellas to maximize safety for beachgoers.”

This letter is the latest push by Sens. Warner and Kaine to ensure the safety and wellbeing of beachgoers. In 2019 letter to CPSC, they drew attention to the unexpected danger of flying beach umbrellas to beachgoers, and in 2021 the Senators pushed ASTM International for increased safety measures. These efforts culminated in ASTM’s release of new safety standards earlier this year.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Chair Hoen-Saric:

We write today requesting swift action by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ensure that beach umbrellas sold in the United States are safe for consumers and the public. To achieve this goal, we urge the Beach Umbrella Task Group within CPSC to finalize strong and clear consumer safety guidance for the design, manufacture, and use of beach umbrellas and anchor devices.

As we enter the Fourth of July holiday weekend, with millions of Americans enjoying our country’s beaches, lakes, and rivers, it is vital that beachgoers are safe from dislodged beach umbrellas. Improperly secured umbrellas can result in death^[3] or serious injury.^[4] We believe that recent actions by CPSC and the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM), including the release earlier this year of the ASTM F3681-24 safety standard, are good steps forward. We urge CPSC and industry to work together quickly to finish any outstanding suggested improvements or other modifications to this standard.

Following our sustained engagement on this issue over the last several years, the CPSC has worked with ASTM and other industry stakeholders to develop the ASTM F3681-24 safety standard and released it in April 2024. ASTM F3681-24 establishes minimum requirements for the safe anchoring of beach umbrellas, which should protect beachgoers from dislodged and airborne umbrellas.

As the Beach Umbrellas Task Group continues to consider additional guidance and safety improvements to the ASTM F3681-24 standard, it is important that the group move swiftly and with thoroughness. We encourage the group to evaluate the full scope and harm of unsecured beach umbrellas to maximize safety for beachgoers.

We appreciate your attention to this critical and timely matter and urge CPSC to work with industry stakeholders to strengthen protections for consumers across the Commonwealth and nation.

Sincerely,

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