Petition Requesting Rulemaking To Amend the Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles, 18795 [2015-07907]

Agencies

• Consumer Product Safety Commission

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 8, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 18795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07907]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 1610

[Docket No. CPSC-2015-0007]


Petition Requesting Rulemaking To Amend the Standard for the 
Flammability of Clothing Textiles

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Petition for Rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) 
has received a petition requesting amendments to the test procedure in 
the Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles, 16 CFR part 
1610. Petitioner requests changes in the requirements for preparation 
of clothing textiles for flammability testing. The Commission invites 
comments concerning the petition.

DATES: The Office of the Secretary must receive comments on the 
petition by June 8, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CPSC-2015-
0007, by any of the following methods:
    Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments to the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments. The Commission does not accept 
comments submitted by electronic mail (email), except through 
www.regulations.gov. The Commission encourages you to submit electronic 
comments by using the Federal eRulemaking Portal, as described above.
    Written Submissions: Submit written submissions by mail/hand 
delivery/courier to: Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, Room 820, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; 
telephone (301) 504-7923.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number for this notice. All comments received may be posted 
without change, including any personal identifiers, contact 
information, or other personal information provided, to: https://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit confidential business information, 
trade secret information, or other sensitive or protected information 
that you do not want to be available to the public. If furnished at 
all, such information should be submitted in writing.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to: https://www.regulations.gov, insert the docket 
number, [ ], into the ``Search'' box, and follow the prompts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rocky Hammond, Office of the 
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, 
Bethesda, MD, 20814; telephone (301) 504-6833, email: 
rhammond@cpsc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 4, 2015, CPSC's Office of the 
Secretary received a petition to the Commission to initiate rulemaking 
to amend the test procedure in 16 CFR part 1610, Standard for the 
Flammability of Clothing Textiles (the Standard). Petitioner, the 
International Association of Users of Artificial and Synthetic Filament 
Yarns and of Natural Silk, asserts that the pre-test conditioning 
requirements for textile samples set forth in 16 CFR 1610.6(a)(2)(iv) 
(for plain surface textile fabrics) and 1610.6(a)(3)(v) (for raised 
surface textile fabrics) are inappropriate and unrealistic for silk 
fabrics. The Standard requires that textile specimens be prepared for 
testing by treating them in an oven at 105[deg] C (221[emsp14][deg]F) 
for 30 minutes, then placing them in a desiccator to cool. See 16 CFR 
1610.6(a)(2)(iv); 1610.6(a)(3)(v). Petitioner contends this process 
removes all moisture from silk fabric samples, resulting in unrealistic 
measures of textile flammability. Petitioner asks that the Standard be 
changed to require that all clothing textile samples, including silk, 
be conditioned at a lower temperature and at a higher level of 
humidity.
    Proposed Changes in Testing. Petitioner asks the Commission to 
adopt changes that would require all clothing textiles to be 
conditioned before flammability testing under the temperature and 
humidity conditions set forth in ASTM D1776-04, Standard Practice for 
Conditioning and Testing Textiles. This standard specifies that general 
textiles should be conditioned at a temperature of 21[deg]  
1[deg] C (70[deg]  2[emsp14][deg] F) and at a relative 
humidity of 65  2% for at least 24 hours prior to testing. 
Petitioner contends flammability testing of silk fabrics would be more 
realistic and more meaningful if testing were conducted using these 
conditioning requirements. The proposed changes in pre-test 
conditioning would apply to all clothing textiles.
    Reasons for Proposed Testing Changes. Petitioner asserts that the 
Standard's conditioning requirements subject silk fabric samples to 
``extreme conditions not found in reality'' and are not based on any 
scientific reason. Petitioner claims its test results show that 
flammability testing outcomes for silk fabrics vary dramatically, 
depending on the conditioning standard used. Petitioner also asserts 
that the Standard's conditioning requirements are inconsistent with all 
national and international textile testing standards of which 
Petitioner is aware, including textile testing standards promulgated by 
the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and ASTM 
International (ASTM). The two alternative standards specifically cited 
by Petitioner, ASTM D1776-04 and ISO 139, Textiles--Standard 
atmospheres for conditioning and testing, require conditioning of 
fabrics at lower temperatures and at higher levels of humidity than the 
Standard.
    Proposed Commission Action. Petitioner requests the Commission 
implement the pre-test conditioning standards of ASTM D1776 by amending 
16 CFR 1610.6(a)(2)(iv) (conditioning of plain surface textile fabrics) 
and 1610.6(a)(3)(v) (conditioning of raised surface textile fabrics) to 
include the conditioning standards of ASTM D1776-04 for all clothing 
textiles, including silk. These revisions also would include a 
requirement that conditioned samples be sealed in a tight container and 
that testing be initiated within one minute of opening of the 
container. Petitioner also requests that the Commission amend 16 CFR 
1610.6(b) (refurbishing and testing after refurbishing) by adding a new 
subsection 1610.6(b)(4) to apply ASTM D1776-04 conditioning standards 
to flammability testing of refurbished (i.e., laundered or dry cleaned) 
textiles.
    By this notice, the Commission seeks comments concerning this 
petition. Interested parties may obtain a copy of the petition by 
writing or calling the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 
504-6833. The petition is also available at https://www.regulations.gov 
under Docket No. CPSC-2015-0007, Supporting and Related Materials.

Alberta E. Mills,
Acting Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2015-07907 Filed 4-7-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6355-01-P