The Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 (PPPA) requires child-resistant (CR) packaging for some regulated products. While this packaging can reduce the risk of child poisoning, some adults struggle to open items designed with extra safety features. Seniors living with reduced strength, mobility, or vision can face additional challenges, which is why senior-use package testing is required for many types of CR packaging.
Senior use effectiveness testing is designed to ensure child-resistant packaging remains functional for adult users, maintaining a balance between child resistance and accessibility for seniors. Such testing, usually conducted in accordance with regulatory standards such as 16 CFR §1700, addresses the fact that child-resistant packaging can compromise safety if end users can’t access it. Senior accessibility is part of making a product’s packaging safer and viable for real-world use.
Under 16 CFR Part 1700, most child-resistant packaging must pass a senior adult use effectiveness (SAUE) test in which at least 90% of a 100-senior panel opens a child-resistant package in less than 5 minutes and opens it again within 1 minute after that, usually without and then with instructions. If the packaging is resealable, senior adults must also be able to reclose the package within the specified time.
The test’s requirements include:
Since 1973, Perritt Laboratories has been a pioneer in child-resistant and senior-use package testing, and today, we are the premier laboratory for both types of testing. We support compliance with all relevant international and domestic regulatory requirements, including:
We maintain long-standing relationships with senior centers, YMCAs, daycares, nursery schools, and other facilities, which have enabled us to build an extensive testing network of hundreds of thousands of participants. We use structured protocols and continually refine our methodologies to maintain strict procedural control, reflect real-world packaging use, align with evolving industry regulations, and achieve regulatory compliance.
We can conduct two-panel evaluations of your child-resistant packaging to assess its compliance with regulatory standards and identify potential design opportunities before your launch.
If your product requires child-resistant packaging, Perritt Laboratories has structural test methods and protocols that produce detailed documentation outlining performance results for each panel, compliance determinations, and any necessary recommendations. To get started with SF container testing, contact us.
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