CPSC Proposes Rule to Amend Test for Mattress Flammability Standard
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a proposed rule that would amend its standard for the flammability of mattresses and mattress pads under 16 CFR 1632 to require the use of a “standard reference material cigarette” as the ignition source for testing to the mattress standard.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
(This change is needed as the ignition source cigarette specified in the standard for use in the mattress standard’s performance tests is no longer being produced.)
Comments are due by January 18, 2011.
Cigarette Referenced in Test Being Removed from Market
CPSC explains that the Standard sets forth a test to determine the ignition resistance of a mattress or mattress pad when exposed to a lighted cigarette. The Standard currently specifies the ignition source for these tests by its physical properties. These properties were originally selected to represent an unfiltered “Pall Mall” cigarette, which was identified as the most severe smoldering ignition source.
When CPSC learned in 2008 that R.J. Reynolds would be stopping production of the unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes, it sought to find an alternate ignition source that would have the same burning characteristics and asked the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop one.
Proposes Cigarette Developed by NIST be Used as Ignition Source
Therefore, the proposed rule would amend the Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads to specify the standard reference material cigarette developed by NIST as the ignition source to be used for testing under the Standard.
CPSC contact - Patricia Adair (301) 504-7536
(D/N CPSC-2010-0105, FR Pub 11/01/10)