U.S. Implements New Beach Umbrella Standards to Combat Rising Accident Rates

Written By: Pappu Mazumder

Pappu Mazumder

I bring a journalist’s perspective to the travel and tourism industry, contributing to Travel and Tour World through engaging storytelling, industry insights, and creative ideas. I focus on exploring emerging trends, highlighting key developments, and sharing meaningful stories that connect the global travel community while inspiring curiosity, innovation, and discovery.

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April 20, 2024 12:24 PM

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Annually, around 3,000 people in the United States visit emergency departments due to beach umbrella-related accidents. These incidents, which include severe injuries such as impalements and even fatalities, have spurred a significant safety initiative. In response, the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM), together with engineers from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), initiated the ASTM F3681-24 safety standard on April 2, 2024. This new standard is dedicated to enhancing the safety of beach umbrellas to protect beachgoers from the dangers of unsecured umbrellas.

Bill Schermerhorn, the inventor of the beachBUB Ultra Umbrella Base, noted the unpredictability of coastal winds, which can surge unexpectedly, sometimes tripling the usual wind speed and reaching up to 25 MPH. His creation, the beachBUB Ultra Umbrella Base, is engineered to stabilize beach umbrellas up to 7 ½ feet in winds of up to 30 MPH.

In response to concerns from U.S. Senators in 2021, ASTM established a committee to address beach umbrella safety for the first time. This committee included senior CPSC engineers who conducted extensive testing in fields, wind tunnels, and laboratories to determine the factors contributing to beach umbrellas becoming unstable and airborne. They concluded that traditional methods like screwing or deep spiking of umbrella poles were ineffective at preventing accidents. Instead, they found that adding 75 pounds of resistance to the umbrella’s lower pole could secure it in winds as high as 30 MPH.

“For decades, beach umbrellas have been designed and manufactured without the benefit of scientific testing on how to anchor and secure them in the sand safely. Over 95% of all beach umbrellas used today don’t include any anchoring device at all; they are stuck or screwed into the sand. Because of this standard, all future users of beach umbrellas, including commercial entities, will know through labeling if they are using a compliant and safe product,” says Schermerhorn.

Beach authorities are set to notify the public about the requirement to use anchors compliant with the ASTM F3681-24 standard. Non-compliance could lead to enforcement actions, such as requiring the removal of non-compliant umbrellas. Additionally, umbrellas and their anchors will need to bear a special label confirming adherence to this new safety standard.

The Director of the American Lifeguard Association, BJ Fisher, states, “This safety standard is a crucial step forward in educating the public that old beach umbrella setup methods are ineffective.”