US CPSC to Revise Flammability Standard Following Petition for Amendment

FANLING, China - May 15, 2015 - PRLog -- Notice of Petition Challenges Textile Testing

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received a petition requesting amendments to the test procedure of its flammability standard for general wearing apparel, Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles, 16 CFR Part 1610. The commission is inviting comments on the petition until June 8, 2015.

The CPSC is requesting comments on the petition to amend the textile flammability rule 16 CFR Part 1610 related to the preparation of test samples. A European group in France, the International Association of Users of Artificial & Synthetic Filament Yarns & Natural Silk, filed the petition claiming that the pre-test conditioning requirements for textile samples are inappropriate and unrealistic for silk fabrics.

Procedures for Textile Flammability Tests at Issue

According to the current Standard requirements, textile testing specimens are prepared by conditioning in an oven at 105°C (221°F) for 30 minutes. The group criticized this procedure stating it removes moisture from the specimens and leads to a false indication of textile flammability. Thus, the petitioner recommends the Commission adopt changes that align with national and international textile testing standards, ASTM D1776-04 “Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles” and ISO 139 “Textile – Standard Atmospheres for Conditioning and Testing,” requiring all clothing textiles (including silk) to be conditioned at a lower temperature and at a high level of humidity before flammability testing. The recommended sampling procedure according to ASTM D1776-04 is conditioned at 21 plus/minus 1°C (70 plus/minus 2°F) at a relative humidity of 65 plus/minus 2% for at least 24 hours.

In addition, the petition requests a revision to include a requirement that conditioned samples be put into a tightly sealed container and that tests be performed within one minute of opening the container. Also, the petition requests the Commission to amend the rules by adding a new subsection for refurbished materials, such as those that have undergone laundering or dry cleaning.

Reference:

US CPSC - Notice of Petition Rulemaking (https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/04/08/2015-...)

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