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What is CPSIA?  

CPSIA is short for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008

Public Law 110-314 - CPSIA

Certificates of Compliance

On August 14, 2008, the United States (110th Congress) enacted Public Law 110-314 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA):
  The law itself is published in Title 15 (commerce and trade) of the United States Code (USC)
  Regulatory guidance is published in Title 16 (commercial practices) of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
CPSIA is administered by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which provides extensive information on compliance at www.cpsc.gov. These are the key requirements:
LEAD PAINT on designated consumer products
  90 ppm (0.009%) - effective August 14, 2009
  "Paint" includes surface coatings but excludes printing inks, ceramic glazes and electroplating (which become part of the substrate material)
  Applies to paints (sold as such) used in residences, schools, hospitals, parks, playgrounds and public buildings, but not to paints used on motor vehicles, boats and commercial equipment
  Applies to paints used on furniture articles, but not to paint used on appliances, bathroom fixtures, built-in cabinets, window coverings and wall hangings
  Applies to paints used on children's products (i.e. intended for use by children 12 years or younger)
  Reference 15 USC 1278a in Chapter 30 (hazardous substances)
LEAD CONTENT in children's products
  600 ppm - effective February 10, 2009
  300 ppm - effective August 14, 2009
  100 ppm - effective August 14, 2011
  Applies to products intended for use by children 12 years or younger; excludes products intended for use by all ages and educational materials with a functional purpose (e.g. chemistry sets, electronics kits)
  Excludes component parts that are inaccessible to children;  "inaccessible" means that it has a sealed covering or casing (paint, coatings or electroplating are not sufficient)
  Component must remain inaccessible to a child through "normal use and reasonably foreseeable abuse"; dismantling by an older child using tools is excluded 
  If limits are not technically feasible for electronic devices with batteries, the CPSC will set requirements for child-resistant cover or casing
  If 100 ppm is not technically feasible for a product/product category, the CPSC will set an alternate limit
  Alternate lead limits or exemptions have been established by CPSC for children's electronics and bicycles and youth ATVs
  Reference 15 USC 1278a in Chapter 30 (hazardous substances)
PHTHALATES in children's toys and child care articles
  1,000 ppm (0.1%) - effective February 10, 2009
  BBP - benzyl butyl phthalate
DBP - dibutyl phthalate
DEHP - di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
DIDP - diisodecyl phthalate
DINP - diisononyl phthalate
DnOP - di-n-octyl phthalate
  Child care article means a product for children 3 years or younger that facilitates sleep, feeding, sucking or teething
  Toy means a product for children 12 years or younger to use in play
  Limits for DIDP, DINP & DnOP apply to child care articles and toys that can be placed in a child's mouth (excludes other toys)
  Reference 15 USC 2057c in Chapter 47 (consumer product safety)
SAFETY STANDARD for children's toys
  ASTM F963-07 - effective February 10, 2009
  ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) is an international organization that develops voluntary standards for manufacturing and trade
  ASTM F963-07 sets safety standards in three main areas: physical/ mechanical, flammability and toxicology/heavy metals; it also includes requirements for safety labeling, producer marking and packaging
  Physical and mechanical safety includes such things as small parts, accessible edges or points, fasteners and folding mechanisms, cords and elastics, holes and clearance, confined spaces, magnets, stability and torque; special attention is given to toys for infants and toddlers
  Toxicology testing involves two areas: lead in paint and soluble heavy metals; the limits are
    600 ppm - lead in paint or similar surface coatings
    90 ppm - soluble lead (Pb)
    60 ppm - soluble antimony (Sb)
    25 ppm - soluble arsenic (As)
    1,000 ppm - soluble barium (Ba)
    75 ppm - soluble cadmium (Cd)
    60 ppm - soluble chromium (Cr)
    60 ppm - soluble mercury (Hg)
    500 ppm - soluble selenium (Se)
  Soluble heavy metals are extracted by dilute hydrochloric acid and then analyzed by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry
  The ASTM standard of 600 ppm for lead in paint became irrelevant on August 14, 2009 when the CPSIA requirement dropped to 90 ppm
  Reference 15 USC 2056b in Chapter 47 (consumer product safety)
THIRD-PARTY TESTING of children's products
  Manufacturer's certificate of compliance for children's products must be based on testing by an accredited laboratory
  Labs must be ISO 17025:2005 certified and registered with the Commission; in-house labs must be fire-walled from rest of company
  Periodic testing of random samples is required; testing is required whenever there is a material change in the product's design, manufacturing process or sourcing of component parts
  Certificates must "accompany" each shipment of product to retailers; electronic certificates posted to company websites are acceptable if they are available prior to shipment of products
  The requirement for third-party testing has been repeated delayed by the need for CPSC to develop final rules concerning safety standards, test methods, accreditation of test labs, and similar complex issues. The timeline for third-party testing is continually evolving.
  Reference 15 USC 2063 in Chapter 47 (consumer product safety)
TRACKING LABELS on children's products

 

Effective August 14, 2009

 

Children's products (where practicable) and their packaging must have permanent labels with the manufacturer's name, production date and location, and identifying cohort information (such as batch or run number)
  Reference 15 USC 2063 in Chapter 47 (consumer product safety)
SAFETY STANDARDS for durable nursery products
  Applies to cribs, beds, high chairs, booster chairs, bath seats, gates, activity centers, infant carriers, strollers, walkers and swings intended to be used by children under 5 years
  Commission shall promulgate consumer product safety standards (based upon consultation and evaluation of voluntary standards)
  Standards to be issued beginning in August 2009 for at least two categories of durable nursery products every six months
  Manufacturers must provide consumers with postage paid consumer registration form  for all durable nursery products
  Manufacturer must maintain a record of contact information of registered products for at least 6 years (to facilitate safety recalls)
  Reference 15 USC 2056a in Chapter 47 (consumer product safety)
Consumer Product Safety DATABASE
  New database to contain reports of harm (from consumers, health care, child care, public safety, and other government agencies); comments from the manufacturer; information on recalls and voluntary corrective actions
  Database must be searchable and available to the public through the Commission's website
  Commission has 180 to submit plan to Congress and another 18 months to get database up and running
  Reference 15 USC 2055 in Chapter 47 (consumer product safety)
PENALTIES for violations
  Effective August 14, 2009
  New civil penalties of $100,000 for each violation (up from $5,000); New maximum penalty of $15,000,000 for a series of related violations (up from $1,250,00)
  New criminal penalties of 5 years imprisonment (up from 1 year);
Individual directors, officers or agents of a corporation are liable (personal knowledge of noncompliance no longer required)
  Applies to violations of: the Consumer Product Safety Act,
Federal Hazardous Substances Act or Flammable Fabrics Act
  Reference 15 USC 2069 in Chapter 47 (consumer product safety)
   
This summary of CPSIA is designed to provide you with an accurate, easy-to-understand overview of the topic. However:
ê We have not attempted to cover the implementation issues that need to be addressed at your company or in your supply chain. For this type of assistance, please email or call us at 972-679-8996 to inquire about our services.
ê This summary does not constitute legal advice. The actual standard in the original language should be reviewed and used for all business, legal, and product compliance purposes.

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