CPSIAUpdatesSummaryOctober2011

CPSCPassesFinalRuleonTestingandLabelingforProductCertificationandReserves ReasonableTestingProgram
TheUSConsumerProductSafetyCommission(CPSC)haspassedthefinalruleforcertificationandtestingforchildrensproductsandplacedthe ReasonableTestingProgramfornonchildrensproductsonreserve.ThefinalruleisintendedtoaddresstherequirementsoftheConsumer ProductSafetyImprovementAct(CPSIA),Section102MandatoryThirdPartyTestingforChildrensProducts.TheCPSCwasrequiredbythelaw toestablishprotocolsandstandardsbywhichachildrensproductmaybecertified.TherulewillbeeffectiveinJanuary2013,15monthsafter itispublishedintheFederalRegister. BackgroundofCPSIARequirements,Section102 Section102oftheCPSIArequiredcertificationforchildrensproductsaswellasnonchildrensproductswithanapplicablerule,banor standardenforcedbytheCPSC.NonchildrensproductsmustbetestedtoareasonabletestingprogramprovidingaHighDegreeofAssurance (HDoA)theproductiscompliantandageneralconformitycertificatemustthenbeissuedindicatingcompliancewithapplicablerequirements. ChildrensproductsmustbetestedtoallapplicablerequirementsbyaCPSCapproved,accreditedthirdpartyconformityassessment body.Basedonthistestingthemanufacturermustissueachildrensproductcertificateindicatingcompliance. SummaryoftheFinalRule TheFinalRule,whichwillbepublishedas16CFR1107,providesadditionalguidanceforthetestingandcertificationofchildrensproducts underCPSIAasfollows: Thecertificationprogramforchildrensproductsrequires: ThirdpartytestingofsufficientsamplesforcertificationwithaHighDegreeofAssurance(HDoA)thattheproductcomplieswithall requirements. Thirdpartyperiodictestingofproductsduringproductiontoensuretheycontinuetocomplywithallrequirements. o Note:Aoneyearmaximumintervalisallowedbetweenthirdpartyperiodictesting;twoyearswithfirstpartyproduction testing;threeyearsifproductiontestingiscertifiedwithISO17025tocertificationmethods. Samplesselectedforperiodictestingshallberepresentativeoftheproductionlot.TheCPSChasindicatedfuturerulemakingwill clarifyhowrepresentativesamplesareselected. o Note:CPSIAcalledforrandomsamplingtobeusedinperiodictesting.Thewordrandomwaschangedtorepresentative byH.R.2715andisreflectedinthefinalrule. Recertificationafteranymaterialchange.Canbeconductedascomponentparttesting,followingtheComponentPartTesting requirements,ifappropriate. Allfailingtestresultsmustbeinvestigatedtodeterminesourceofnonconformity.CPSCstatedtestinganewsamplewithout investigationdoesnotprovideaHDoAtheotherproductscomply. o Note:Thefinalruleremovedspecificremedialactionplanrequirementsincludedintheproposedrule.However,itdoes requirethatanynonconformitybereviewedtodeterminethecause. Allrequireddocumentsretainedforafiveyearperiod. o Note:DocumentsdonotneedtobecreatedinEnglish,anddocumentsdonotneedtobestoredintheUSasstatedin theproposedrule.However,documentsstillmustbereadilyavailableuponrequestandbeabletobetranslatedwithin 48hours. ReasonableTestingProgram(RTP)isReserved WhiletheCPSIAdidnotrequiretheCPSCtodefineaReasonableTestingProgram(unliketheprogramforchildrensproductswhichwas required),theCPSCdecidedtodefinerequirementsintheproposedrulepublishedinMay2010.TheFinalRule,however,reservesthesection anddoesnotproviderequirementsforaRTP.Highlightsregardingthisdecisionareasfollows: ARTPisstillrequiredbyCPSIAtocertifygeneraluse/nonchildrensproductseventhoughrequirementshavenotbeendefinedin theFinalRule. o TheCommissionersreiteratedduringthewebcastthatdespitethereservationofthissection,amanufacturercertifyinga nonchildrensproductmustfollowareasonabletestingprogram. Withthesectionreserved,theCPSCalsohasmadenochangesandnosignificantcommentsontheproceduresforaRTP. TheCPSCmaydecideatalaterdatetoestablishrequirementsforaRTPornottopassanyruleregardingaRTP. IftheCPSCremainssilentontherequirementsofaRTP,acertifiermayusetheproceduresintheproposedrule,orreferenceaCPSC guidancedocumentfromNovember2009,whichfirstoutlinedtheCPSCsviewofaRTP.TheCPSCguidancedocumentandproposed rulelistthefollowingcomponentscanbepartofaRTP: ProductSpecification CertificationTesting ProductionTestingPlan RemedialActionPlan RecordKeeping Acceptablelabelingforcompliantproducts Thefinalrulesstatesacertifiedcompliantproductmaycontainthelabel: MeetsCPSCSafetyRequirements

CPSIAUpdatesSummaryOctober2011

CPSCPassesFinalRuleonComponentPartTesting
OnOctober19,2011,theUSConsumerProductSafetyCommission(CPSC)passedthefinalrulefortheconditions andrequirementsforrelyingoncomponentparttestingorcertification,oranotherpartysfinishedproducttesting orcertification,inordertomeetthetestingandcertificationrequirementsoftheConsumerProductSafety ImprovementAct(CPSIA).Therulewillbecomeeffective30daysafterpublicationintheFederalRegister.

Background OnMay20,2010,theCommissionissuedanoticeofproposedrulemakingaddressingtheabilityofusingcomponentpart testingtomeettheCPSIAtestingandcertificationrequirements.Therevisedfinalrulecreatesanew16CFR1109,which describestherequirementsforusingcomponentparttestingasthebasisforissuingcertificatesforadultproductsorchildrens products.Thisrulewillallowtheimporterorthedomesticmanufacturertorelyonfinishedproducttestingorcertification providedbyaforeignsupplier,aslongastheymeettheapplicableCPSIArules. SummaryoftheFinalRule TheFinalRulewaswrittentoreducetestingcostsforspecificchemicals,including: Leadcontentofpaintandsurfacecoatingsmaterialsof16CFR1303 MetalsofsurfacecoatingsintoysinASTMF963(lead,cadmium,chromium,barium,antimony,arsenic, mercury,selenium) LeadcontentinchildrensproductsoftheCPSIA Certainphthalatecontent(0.1%)inchildcarearticlesandchildrenstoysoftheCPSIA Thisrulesupersedesallpolicystatementsandguidelinespertainingtocomponentparttesting,exceptthephthalate statementofpolicywhichonlyrequirestestingofmaterialsthatareknowntocontainphthalatesandexcludestestingof inaccessiblematerials. Acomponentpartcertifierassumestheresponsibilitiesofamanufacturerunder16CFR1107,including:thirdparty certificationtesting,thirdpartyperiodictesting,productiontesting,andrecordkeeping. SignificantChangesfromtheProposedRuletotheFinalRule Certaincertificatecontentrequirementshavebeeneliminated:identificationofeachcomponentparttested,bypart numberorotherspecification,aswellasthemanufacturerandsupplierofthepart.Certificatesmaynowrefertoreports forthedateandplacewheretheproductwastested. Componentpartsmustbetraceablebacktothepartywhohadthepartstestedforcompliance,nottothesupplieroreach subcomponent. Afteraproductistested,certifiersandtestingpartiesinpossessionoftheproductorcomponentpartmustexercisedue caretopreventcontamination.Duecaredoesnotpermitwillfulignorance. Allrecordswillneedtobemaintainedforfiveyears,insteadoftheoriginaltimeframeoflifeoftheproductplusfiveyears. RecordswillnotberequiredtobemaintainedintheUS,aslongastheycanbeprovidedtotheCPSCuponrequest,by eitherhardcopyorelectronicform. RecordswillnotberequiredtobemaintainedinEnglish,aslongasrecordscanbetranslatedwithin48hours,orwithinan otherwisearrangedtimeframewiththeCPSC. Themostsignificantchangetothefinalruleistheallowanceofanimportertorelyonfinishedproducttestreportsor certificationfromaforeignmanufacturertocertifyaproduct. Althoughcomponentparttestingbeforefinalassemblyandrelyingonanotherpartysfinishedproducttestingor certification,isvoluntary,onceapartydecidestoconductorrelyuponeither,therequirementsin16CFR1109apply.