Safety commission publishes flammability briefing

-- Home Textiles Today, 11/3/2004 12:09:00 PM

NEW YORK— The Consumer Product Safety Commission has published its briefing package on mattress and bedding/bedclothes flammability. The 500-page briefing package is available on the CPSC Web site at www.cpsc.gov or at http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia05/brief/briefing.html.

The first part summarizes the commission's findings and recommendations. Part 5 contains the CPSC findings on the involvement of bedding or bedclothes in mattress fires.

The CPSC has recommended that an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) be issued for bedclothes, according to a statement by the Home Fashion Products Association. The commission will be voting on the staff recommendations for mattresses and bedclothes. It is unclear at this time when the staff briefing or a vote would be held. Should the CPSC commissioners approve publication of the draft regulatory test of the mattress standard, the comment period would be 75 days after the publication in the Federal Register. Should the commission approve publication of the ANPR on bedclothes, the comment period would be 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

HFPA stated that it plans to comment on the briefing package, including the recommendation or an ANPR and will comment on the ANPR if it is issued.

"What is clear is that the CPSC is moving ahead toward regulating the flammability of bedding products, which will affect the entire industry," stated HFPA.