CPSC Final Rule Updates and Clarifies Flammability Standard for Clothing Textiles
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a final rule, effective September 22, 2008, to amend 16 CFR Part 1610, the Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles (the Standard), to better reflect current consumer practices and technologies and to clarify several aspects of the Standard.
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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 revisions discussed in this final rule would not affect the more stringent children's sleepwear standards in 16 CFR Parts 1615 and 1616.
Revisions to Definitions, Flammability Tester, Refurbishing, Test Procedures, Etc.
The final rule makes certain revisions to the Standard, including the following (partial list):
Addition of definitions.The final rule amends the Standard by adding definitions of the terms "base burn" and "surface flash," since these in particular have caused confusion in interpreting and reporting test results for raised surface textile fabrics. In addition, several other relevant terms and definitions have been added, including: burn time, dry cleaning, flammability, flame application time, ignition, interlining, laundering, long dimension, plain surface textile fabric, raised surface textile fabric, refurbishing, sample, specimen, and stop thread supply.
Flammability tester. The final rule revises the Standard to describe the critical parameters of a modern flammability test apparatus and provides diagrams. It also expressly permits the use of electro-mechanical devices to control and apply the flame impingement.
Refurbishing methods. According to the CPSC, the final rule revises the Standard's procedures for refurbishing (i.e. dry cleaning and laundering) to better reflect modern techniques. Among other things, the revised Standard prescribes a dry cleaning method based on the ASTM D1230, Standard Test Method for Flammability of Apparel Textiles, and sets forth laundering requirements 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. The final rule has reorganized and rewritten the Standard's 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, etc. The final rule clarifies the Standard's instructions for calculating burn times and establishing the occurrence of a base burn. The revision also specifies test result codes from CPSC's laboratory test manual.
Final Rule Has Early Effective Date, Products "In Inventory" Will be Exempt
The CPSC states that the revisions to the Standard have an early effective date of September 22, 2008 (which is 180 days after the final rule's publication, instead of the usual 365 days), as the revisions reflect practices that industry and laboratories are currently following. According to the CPSC, the impact of the final rule should be minimal, and an earlier effective date should be helpful to the public.
As required by law, products "in inventory or with the trade" will be exempt from the revised Standard.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 02/28/07 news, 07022810, for BP summary of the proposed rule.)
CPSC contact - Mary Toro (301) 504-7586
CPSC final rule (FR Pub 03/25/08) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-5569.pdf