From: Subject: CPSC Grants One Year Stay of Testing and Certification Requirements for Certain Products Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:19:01 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C98BA3.AAB5A190" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C98BA3.AAB5A190 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09115.html CPSC Grants One Year Stay of Testing and = Certification Requirements for Certain Products

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, = 2009
Release=20 #09-115

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media = Contact: (301)=20 504-7908


CPSC Grants One Year Stay of Testing and Certification Requirements = for=20 Certain Products

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted=20 unanimously (2-0) to issue a one year stay of enforcement for certain = testing=20 and certification requirements for manufacturers and importers of = regulated=20 products, including products intended for children 12 years old and = younger.=20 These requirements are part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement = Act=20 (CPSIA), which added certification and testing requirements for all = products=20 subject to CPSC standards or bans.

Significant to makers of children=92s products, the vote by the = Commission=20 provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements = which go=20 into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 = ppm),=20 phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy = standards,=20 among other things. Manufacturers and importers =96 large and small =96 = of=20 children=92s products will not need to test or certify to these new = requirements,=20 but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy = standards=20 and other requirements.

The decision by the Commission gives the staff more time to finalize = four=20 proposed rules which could relieve certain materials and products from = lead=20 testing and to issue more guidance on when testing is required and how = it is to=20 be conducted.

The stay will remain in effect until February 10, 2010, at which time = a=20 Commission vote will be taken to terminate the stay.

The stay does not apply to:

The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to = the=20 crafters, children=92s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been = subject=20 to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. These = businesses will=20 not need to issue certificates based on testing of their products until=20 additional decisions are issued by the Commission. However, all = businesses,=20 including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters = and=20 home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products = conform to=20 all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and = phthalates=20 provisions of the CPSIA.

Handmade garment makers are cautioned to know whether the zippers, = buttons=20 and other fasteners they are using contain lead. Likewise, handmade toy=20 manufacturers need to know whether their products, if using plastic or = soft=20 flexible vinyl, contain phthalates.

The stay of enforcement on testing and certification does not address = thrift=20 and second hand stores and small retailers because they are not required = to test=20 and certify products under the CPSIA. The products they sell, including = those in=20 inventory on February 10, 2009, must not contain more than 600 ppm lead = in any=20 accessible part. The Commission is aware that it is difficult to know = whether a=20 product meets the lead standard without testing and has issued guidance = for=20 these companies that can be found on our web = site.

The Commission trusts that State Attorneys General will respect the=20 Commission's judgment that it is necessary to stay certain testing and=20 certification requirements and will focus their own enforcement efforts = on other=20 provisions of the law, e.g. the sale of recalled products.

Please visit the CPSC Web site at www.cpsc.gov/about/cp= sia/cpsia.html=20 for more information on all of the efforts being made to successfully = implement=20 the CPSIA.

Statements on this vote by Acting= Chairman=20 Nancy Nord and Commi= ssioner=20 Thomas H. Moore are in portable document format (PDF).

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Send the link for this page to a friend! = The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting = the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from = thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. = The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from = products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. = The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as = toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - = contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and = injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 = years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, = call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) = 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To = join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist= .aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at = CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov. =

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