[Federal Register: July 11, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 132)]
[Notices]
[Page 39056-39057]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11jy06-39]
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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Clothing Textiles, Vinyl
Plastic Film
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission requests comments
on a proposed extension of approval of a collection of information from
manufacturers and importers of clothing, and textiles and related
materials intended for use in clothing. This collection of information
is required in regulations implementing the Standard for the
Flammability of Clothing Textiles (16 CFR part 1610) and the Standard
for the Flammability of Vinyl Plastic Film (16 CFR part 1611). These
regulations establish requirements for testing and recordkeeping for
manufacturers and importers who furnish guaranties for products subject
to the flammability standards for clothing textiles and vinyl plastic
film. The Commission will consider all comments received in response to
this notice before requesting an extension of approval of this
collection of information from the Office of Management and Budget.
DATES: Written comments must be received by the Office of the Secretary
not later than September 11, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be captioned ``ClothingTextiles and
Film, Collection of Information'' and e-mailed to the Office of the
Secretary at cpsc-os@cpsc.gov, or mailed to the Office of the
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway,
Bethesda, Maryland, 20814. Written comments may also be sent to the
Office of the Secretary by facsimile at (301) 504-0127.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the proposed
extension of the collection of information, or to obtain a copy of 16
CFR parts 1610 and 1611, call or write Linda L. Glatz, Office of
Planning and Evaluation, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East
West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland; telephone (301) 504-7671; e-mail
lglatz@cpsc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
Clothing and fabrics intended for use in clothing (except
children's sleepwear in sizes 0 through 14) are subject to the Standard
for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles (16 CFR Part 1610). Clothing
made from vinyl plastic film and vinyl plastic film intended for use in
clothing (except children's sleepwear in sizes 0 through 14) are
subject to the Standard for the Flammability of Vinyl Plastic Film (16
CFR part 1611). These standards prescribe a test to assure that
articles of wearing apparel, and fabrics and film intended for use in
wearing apparel, are not dangerously flammable because of rapid and
intense burning. (Children's sleepwear and fabrics and related
materials intended for use in children's sleepwear in sizes 0 through
14 are subject to other, more stringent flammability standards,
codified at 16 CFR parts 1615 and 1616.) The flammability standards for
clothing textiles and vinyl plastic film were made mandatory by the
Flammable Fabrics Act of 1953 (FFA) (Pub. L. 83-88, 67 Stat. 111; June
30, 1953).
Section 8 of the FFA (15 U.S.C. 1197) provides that a person who
receives a guaranty in good faith that a product complies with an
applicable flammability standard is not subject to criminal prosecution
for a violation of the FFA resulting from the sale of any product
covered by the guaranty. Section 8 of the FFA requires that a guaranty
must be based on ``reasonable and representative tests.'' The
Commission estimates that about 1,000 manufacturers and importers of
clothing, and of textiles and vinyl film intended for use in clothing,
issue guaranties that the products they produce or import comply with
the applicable standard.
B. Testing and Recordkeeping
Regulations implementing the flammability standards for clothing
textiles and vinyl plastic film prescribe requirements for testing and
recordkeeping by firms that issue guaranties. See 16 CFR part 1610,
subpart B, and 16 CFR part 1611, subpart B.
The Commission uses the information compiled and maintained by
firms that issue these guaranties to help protect the public from risks
of injury or death associated with clothing and fabrics and vinyl film
intended for use in clothing. More specifically, the information helps
the Commission arrange corrective actions if any products covered by a
guaranty fail to comply with the applicable standard in a manner that
creates a substantial risk of injury or death to the public. The
Commission also uses this information to determine whether the
requisite testing was performed to support the guaranties.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the collection
of information in the enforcement regulations implementing the
standards for clothing textiles and vinyl plastic film under control
number 3041-0024. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire
on September 30, 2006. The Commission proposes to request an extension
of approval without change for the collection of information in those
regulations.
C. Estimated Burden
The Commission staff estimates that about 1,000 firms that
manufacture or import products subject to the flammability standards
for clothing textiles and vinyl plastic film issue guaranties that the
products they produce or import comply with the applicable standard.
The Commission staff estimates that these standards and implementing
regulations will impose an average annual burden of about 101.6 hours
on each of those firms. That burden will result from conducting the
testing and maintaining records required by the implementing
regulations. The total annual burden imposed by the standards and
regulations on all manufacturers and importers of clothing textiles and
vinyl plastic film will be about 101,600 hours.
The hourly wage for the testing and recordkeeping required by the
standards and regulations is about $42.84, for an estimated annual cost
to the industry of nearly $4.4 million.
D. Request for Comments
The Commission solicits written comments from all interested
persons about the proposed collection of information. The Commission
specifically solicits information relevant to the following topics:
--Whether the collection of information described above is necessary
for the proper performance of the Commission's functions, including
whether the information would have practical utility;
--Whether the estimated burden of the proposed collection of
information is accurate;
[[Page 39057]]
--Whether the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected could be enhanced; and
--Whether the burden imposed by the collection of information could be
minimized by use of automated, electronic or other technological
collection techniques, or other forms of information technology.
Dated: July 5, 2006.
Todd A. Stevenson,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. E6-10752 Filed 7-10-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P