Is there an accepted recommended minimum requirement for the height of the bed rails above the top of the mattress when the rails are in the “up” position?
Because the height of the rail above the mattress is not related to entrapment, the FDA guidance document does not specify a side rail height recommendation.
As a point of information, recommendations vary among standards organizations regarding the minimum height of the top of the rail above the mattress. For hospital beds specifically, the international hospital bed standard, IEC 60601-2-38, amended in 1999, recommends 8.7 inches (220 mm). However, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission in 16 CFR Parts 1213 and 1513, Consumer Product Safety Standard for Bunk Beds recommends 5 inches (127 mm) as the minimum height, as does the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) in ASTM F1427-96.
