CPSC Proposes to Update and Clarify Flammability Standard for Clothing Textiles
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a proposed rule that would amend 16 CFR Part 1610, Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles (Standard), to better reflect current consumer practices and technologies and to clarify several aspects of the Standard.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
The CPSC states that the products regulated under the Standard are clothing and fabrics intended to be used for clothing. The Standard applies to all items of clothing, and fabrics used for such clothing, whether for adults or children, for daywear or nightwear. Excluded are footwear, interlining fabrics, and certain hats and gloves.
The CPSC notes that the proposed changes discussed in this notice would not affect the more stringent children's sleepwear standards in 16 CFR Parts 1614 and 1616.
Written comments must be received by May 14, 2007. Requests to make an oral presentation must be received by April 13, 2007.
Proposed Revisions to Definitions, Flammability Tester, Dry Cleaning, Test Procedures, Etc.
The CPSC proposes certain changes to the clothing flammability standard, which include the following (partial list):
Addition of definitions of "base burn," "surface flash", etc. The CPSC proposes to define the meaning of the terms "base burn" and "surface flash" under the Standard, and to add several other relevant terms and definitions, including burn time, dry cleaning, flammability, flame, ignition, interlining, laundering, long dimension, plain surface textile fabric, raised surface textile fabric, refurbishing, sample, specimen, and stop thread supply.
Description of parameters, permission of electro-mechanical devices, etc. for flammability test. The CPSC proposes to describe the critical parameters of a modern flammability test apparatus and provide diagrams. Also, the CPSC proposes to expressly permit the use of electro-mechanical devices to control and apply the flame impingement.
Inclusion of specific parameters for dry cleaning, laundering before testing (refurbishing). For refurbishing methods, the CPSC proposes to include specific parameters for dry cleaning, including solvent type, detergent class, cleaning and extraction time, drying time and temperature, and cool down/deodorization time for the use perchlorethylene in a closed environment commercial dry cleaning machine for one cycle.
The CPSC also proposes to set forth laundering requirements for fabric samples after they are dry-cleaned and before tested, based on those prescribed in American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) 124-2001, Appearance of Fabrics After Repeated Home Laundering.
Clarification of testing procedures with step-by-step directions, etc. The CPSC proposes to reorganize and rewrite the flammability test procedure in a more logical step-by-step fashion to clarify the directions for selecting the surface or direction of the fabric to be tested, how to determine when testing five additional specimens is necessary, as well as how to conduct the flammability test.
Clarification of burn time, base burn calculations, test result codes. The CPSC proposes to clarify the instructions for calculating burn times and establishing the occurrence of a base burn. The CPSC also proposes to specify test result codes, which would come from CPSC's laboratory test manual and are based on codes developed by the Federal Trade Commission many years ago.
Removal of Standard, FFA history. The CPSC proposes to remove the section describing the history of the Flammable Fabrics Act of 1953 (FFA) and the Standard.
CPSC Proposes Early Effective Date of 180 Days After Final Rule Publication, Products "In Inventory" Would be Exempt
The CPSC proposes that the revisions to the Standard would become effective 180 days after publication of a final amendment and that products "in inventory or with the trade" would be exempt from the revised standard.
According to the CPSC, a shorter effective date is in the public interest, as the proposed revisions reflect practices that industry and laboratories are currently following. Therefore, the CPSC states that the impact of the proposed changes should be minimal, and it should be helpful to the public if the clarifications provided in the proposed revision are effective sooner than one year (the usual effective date).
(See ITT's Online Archives or 09/17/02 news, 02091720, for BP summary of the CPSC's advance notice of proposed rulemaking.)
-Written comments must be received by May 14, 2007. Requests to make an oral presentation must be received by April 13, 2007.
CPSC contact - Patricia Adair (301) 504-7536
CPSC proposed rule (FR Pub 02/27/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-779.pdf