U.S. – CPSC Approves Formal Enforcement Policy Removing GCC Requirement for Adult Apparel Exempt from Flammability Testing
Vol. 898 | February 29, 2016
On February 24, 2016, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a formal enforcement policy lifting the requirement for a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) for adult apparel that is exempt from flammability testing per the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA).
Details of the motion follow:
Motion: “The CPSC will exercise enforcement discretion such that manufacturers and importers of adult wearing apparel made of fabric exempt from testing under the FFA and subject to no other CPSC regulations do not need to furnish a GCC where the sole function of the certificate is to restate the exemption.”
It should be noted that this change in the certification policy does not change the compliance requirements. Adult apparel, even that is exempt by the FFA from testing, is still required to meet the flammability requirements.
What does this mean?
This means that a U.S. manufacturer or importer of adult apparel that is exempt from the flammability testing requirement, either based on fiber content or fabric weight, will not be required to issue a GCC.
The Flammable Fabrics Act exemptions for apparel are specified in 16 CFR 1610 Section 1(d) (1) and (2). Those exemptions are:
- Plain surface fabrics, regardless of fiber content, weighing 2.6 ounces per square yard or more
- All fabrics, both plain surface and raised-fiber surface textiles, regardless of weight, made entirely from any of the following fibers or entirely from combination of the following fibers: acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester, wool
When does this go in effect?
This policy goes in effect on March 25, 2016, which is 30 days from the day the Commission approved the policy.
For questions, please contact Dr. Pratik Ichhaporia (pratik.ichhaporia@intertek.com, 312-906-7720).