View Rule

On February 4, 2015, the 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 Natural Silks, asserts that the pre-test conditioning requirements for textile samples set forth in subsections 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° C (221° F) for 30 minutes, then placing them in a desiccator to cool. See 16 CFR subsections 1610.6(a)(2)(iv) and 1610.6(a)(3)(v). Petitioner contends that 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. Petitioner also requests that the Commission extend the maximum time between conditioning and testing provided in 16 CFR 1610.6(c)(5) from 45 seconds to 4 minutes. Staff prepared a briefing package on the petition for Commission consideration. The Commission voted unanimously to deny the petition.