ISPAAdvocacy Enforcement of some testing, certification rules delayed The federal government has extended a stay of enforcement for some testing and certification requirements mandated by the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission extended a current stay against lead testing and certification requirements until Feb. 10, 2011. For other safety standards affecting children’s products—including the flammability regulations 16 CFR Part 1632 and 1633 and phthalates content testing—the stay was extended until 90 days after the CPSC publishes lab accreditation procedures for a particular safety standard. The International Sleep Products Association and other manufacturing groups requested the extension. The stay has several ramifications for mattress producers: ➤ Mattress manufacturers must continue to issue a general certificate of conformity, confirming that their products meet 1632 and 1633 standards. ➤ Manufacturers of mattresses intended for children 12 and younger must use a CPSC-accredited third- party lab or an internal lab that is approved by the CPSC to conduct flammability testing beginning 90 days after the CPSC issues lab accreditation
procedures for 1632 and 1633. ➤ For lead testing, manufacturers of children’s products must use a CPSC-accredited lab, either third-party or internal, to perform the lead testing and certify that its products meet applicable lead content limits beginning Feb. 10, 2011. The stay doesn’t affect the current 300 parts per million lead content limit itself. Lead testing and certification only pertains to components that have not been exempted from the lead requirements, such as most ticking on children’s mattresses and all internal mattress components. ➤ Manufacturers of child-care articles, which are defined as certain products for use by children 3 and younger, currently may not make products that contain certain categories of phthalates. Ninety days after the CPSC issues lab accreditation procedures for phthalates, the CPSC will require manufacturers of those products to use a CPSC-accredited lab, again either third-party or in-house, to test them for the chemicals and certify that the product meets this requirement. For more information about requirements of the consumer product law, check ISPA’s Web site, www.sleepproducts.org/advocacy.
Product safety database still taking shape
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he U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering how a product safety database for consumers would be set up and function. In midJanuary, the CPSC held two days of workshops on the subject. The database, which consumers could use to file and search for product safety incident reports, is required by the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It will be accessible through the CPSC’s Web site, www.cpsc.gov. Once the CPSC receives a report, product manufacturers have only 10 business days to review the report for accuracy and comment before it is posted in the database. Among the issues discussed during the workshop was how to best notify manufacturers that a report has been received about one of their products. One suggestion was to create a system in which manufacturers can designate a product safety contact within the company to handle such reports. Other discussions focused on how to verify safety report information and accuracy and obtaining manufacturer feedback. Watch a Web cast of the workshop at www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/dbworkshop.html.
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Short Calif. considers substance lists A California state senator has introduced a bill that would require manufacturers and wholesalers who sell products in that state to list all of the substances used in those products on their Web site. SB 928 stipulates that if the manufacturer or wholesaler doesn’t have a Web site, it must create one. The International Sleep Products Association participates in the Green Chemistry Alliance, which was formed to address similar requirements as California implements its Green Chemistry initiative. ISPA and the alliance will continue to monitor the progress of the legislation. To read the bill, check www.leginfo.ca.gov.
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