[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 20, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 22030-22033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9422]
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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
[CPSC Docket No. CPSC-2009-0064]
16 CFR Part 1217
Third Party Testing for Certain Children's Products; Toddler
Beds: Requirements for Accreditation of Third Party Conformity
Assessment Bodies
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Notice of requirements.
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SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) is
issuing a notice of requirements that provides the criteria and process
for Commission acceptance of accreditation of third party conformity
assessment bodies for testing pursuant to the CPSC regulation relating
to toddler beds. The Commission is issuing this notice of requirements
pursuant to section 14(a)(3)(B)(vi) of the Consumer Product Safety Act
(CPSA) (15 U.S.C. 2063(a)(3)(B)(vi)).
DATES: Effective Date: The requirements for accreditation of third
party conformity assessment bodies to assess conformity with 16 CFR
part 1217 are effective April 20, 2011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert ``Jay'' Howell, Assistant
Executive Director for Hazard Identification and Reduction, U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda,
Maryland 20814; e-mail rhowell@cpsc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
Section 14(a)(3)(B)(vi) of the CPSA, as added by section 102(a)(2)
of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), Public
Law 110-314, directs the CPSC to publish a notice of requirements for
accreditation of third party conformity assessment bodies to assess
children's products for conformity with ``other children's product
safety rules.'' Section 14(f)(1) of the CPSA defines ``children's
product safety rule'' as ``a consumer product safety rule under [the
CPSA] or similar rule, regulation, standard, or ban under any other Act
enforced by the Commission, including a rule declaring a consumer
product to be a banned hazardous product or substance.'' Under section
14(a)(3)(A) of the CPSA, each manufacturer (including the importer) or
private labeler of products subject to those regulations must have
products that are manufactured more than 90 days after the Federal
Register publication date of a notice of the requirements for
accreditation, tested by a third party conformity assessment body
accredited to do so, and must issue a certificate of compliance with
the applicable regulations based on that testing. Section 14(a)(2) of
the CPSA, as added by section 102(a)(2) of the CPSIA, requires that
certification be based on testing of sufficient samples of the
[[Page 22031]]
product, or samples that are identical in all material respects to the
product. The Commission also emphasizes that, irrespective of
certification, the product in question must comply with applicable CPSC
requirements (see, e.g., section 14(h) of the CPSA, as added by section
102(b) of the CPSIA).
This notice provides the criteria and process for Commission
acceptance of accreditation of third party conformity assessment bodies
for testing pursuant to the safety standard for toddler beds, which
appears elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. The standard
for toddler beds will be codified at 16 CFR part 1217. The standard
contains the test methods that conformity assessment bodies will use to
assess toddler beds. The Commission is recognizing limited
circumstances in which it will accept certifications based on product
testing conducted before the toddler bed standard becomes effective in
six months. The details regarding those limited circumstances can be
found in part IV of this document below.
Although section 14(a)(3)(B)(vi) of the CPSA directs the CPSC to
publish a notice of requirements for accreditation of third party
conformity assessment bodies to assess conformity with ``all other
children's product safety rules,'' this notice of requirements is
limited to the regulation identified immediately above.
The CPSC also recognizes that section 14(a)(3)(B)(vi) of the CPSA
is captioned: ``All Other Children's Product Safety Rules,'' but the
body of the statutory requirement refers only to ``other children's
product safety rules.'' Nevertheless, section 14(a)(3)(B)(vi) of the
CPSA could be construed to require a notice of requirements for ``all''
other children's product safety rules, rather than as a notice of
requirements for ``some'' or ``certain'' children's product safety
rules. However, whether a particular rule represents a ``children's
product safety rule'' may be subject to interpretation, and Commission
staff is continuing to evaluate which rules, regulations, standards, or
bans constitute ``children's product safety rules.'' The CPSC intends
to issue additional notices of requirements for other rules that the
Commission determines to be ``children's product safety rules.''
This notice of requirements applies to all third party conformity
assessment bodies as described in section 14(f)(2) of the CPSA.
Generally speaking, such third party conformity assessment bodies are:
(1) Third party conformity assessment bodies that are not owned,
managed, or controlled by a manufacturer or private labeler of a
children's product to be tested by the third party conformity
assessment body for certification purposes; (2) ``firewalled''
conformity assessment bodies (those that are owned, managed, or
controlled by a manufacturer or private labeler of a children's product
to be tested by the third party conformity assessment body for
certification purposes and that seek accreditation under the additional
statutory criteria for ``firewalled'' conformity assessment bodies);
and (3) third party conformity assessment bodies owned or controlled,
in whole or in part, by a government.
The Commission requires baseline accreditation of each category of
third party conformity assessment body to the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) Standard 17025:2005, ``General Requirements for the
Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories.'' The accreditation
must be by an accreditation body that is a signatory to the
International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation--Mutual Recognition
Arrangement (ILAC-MRA), and the scope of the accreditation must include
testing for any of the test methods identified earlier in part I of
this document for which the third party conformity assessment body
seeks to be accredited.
(A description of the history and content of the ILAC-MRA approach
and of the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 laboratory
accreditation standard is provided in the CPSC staff briefing
memorandum, ``Third Party Conformity Assessment Body Accreditation
Requirements for Testing Compliance With 16 CFR Part 1501 (Small Parts
Regulations),'' dated November 2008, and available on the CPSC's Web
site at http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/smallparts.pdf.)
The Commission has established an electronic accreditation
registration and listing system that can be accessed via its Web site
at http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/labaccred.html.
As stated in part I of this document, the Commission, elsewhere in
this issue of the Federal Register, is issuing a new standard for
toddler beds that will be codified at 16 CFR part 1217. This notice of
requirements is effective on April 20, 2011. The final rule announcing
the Safety Standard for Toddler Beds is effective on October 20, 2011.
The effect of these twin publications is that each manufacturer
(including the importer) or private labeler of a product subject to 16
CFR part 1217 must have any such product manufactured on or after
October 20, 2011, tested by a third party conformity assessment body
accredited to do so and must issue a certificate of compliance with 16
CFR part 1217 based on that testing.
This notice of requirements is exempt from the notice and comment
rulemaking requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C.
553 (see section 14(a)(3)(G) of the CPSA, as added by section 102(a)(2)
of the CPSIA (15 U.S.C. 2063(a)(3)(G))).
II. Accreditation Requirements
A. Baseline Third Party Conformity Assessment Body Accreditation
Requirements
For a third party conformity assessment body to be accredited to
test children's products for conformity with the test methods
identified earlier in part I of this document, it must be accredited by
an ILAC-MRA signatory accrediting body, and the accreditation must be
registered with, and accepted by, the Commission. A listing of ILAC-MRA
signatory accrediting bodies is available on the Internet at http://ilac.org/membersbycategory.html. The accreditation must be to ISO
Standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005, ``General Requirements for the Competence
of Testing and Calibration Laboratories,'' and the scope of the
accreditation must expressly include testing to the test method for
toddler beds included in 16 CFR part 1217, Safety Standard for Toddler
Beds. A true copy, in English, of the accreditation and scope documents
demonstrating compliance with these requirements must be registered
with the Commission electronically. The additional requirements for
accreditation of firewalled and governmental conformity assessment
bodies are described in parts II.B and II.C of this document below.
The Commission will maintain on its Web site an up-to-date listing
of third party conformity assessment bodies whose accreditations it has
accepted and the scope of each accreditation. Once the Commission adds
a third party conformity assessment body to that list, the third party
conformity assessment body may commence testing of toddler beds to
support certification by the manufacturer or private labeler of
compliance with the test methods identified earlier in part I of this
document.
B. Additional Accreditation Requirements for Firewalled Conformity
Assessment Bodies
In addition to the baseline accreditation requirements in part II.A
of this document, firewalled conformity assessment bodies seeking
accredited
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status must submit to the Commission copies, in English, of their
training documents showing how employees are trained to notify the
Commission immediately and confidentially of any attempt by the
manufacturer, private labeler, or other interested party to hide or
exert undue influence over the third party conformity assessment body's
test results. This additional requirement applies to any third party
conformity assessment body in which a manufacturer or private labeler
of a children's product to be tested by the third party conformity
assessment body owns an interest of 10 percent or more. While the
Commission is not addressing common parentage of a third party
conformity assessment body and a children's product manufacturer at
this time, it will be vigilant to determine whether this issue needs to
be addressed in the future.
As required by section 14(f)(2)(D) of the CPSA, the Commission must
formally accept, by order, the accreditation application of a third
party conformity assessment body before the third party conformity
assessment body can become an accredited firewalled conformity
assessment body. The Commission's order must also find that accrediting
the firewalled conformity assessment body would provide equal or
greater consumer safety protection than the manufacturer's or private
labeler's use of an independent conformity assessment body.
C. Additional Accreditation Requirements for Governmental Conformity
Assessment Bodies
In addition to the baseline accreditation requirements of part II.A
of this document above, the CPSIA permits accreditation of a third
party conformity assessment body owned or controlled, in whole or in
part, by a government if:
To the extent practicable, manufacturers or private
labelers located in any nation are permitted to choose conformity
assessment bodies that are not owned or controlled by the government of
that nation;
The third party conformity assessment body's testing
results are not subject to undue influence by any other person,
including another governmental entity;
The third party conformity assessment body is not accorded
more favorable treatment than other third party conformity assessment
bodies in the same nation who have been accredited;
The third party conformity assessment body's testing
results are accorded no greater weight by other governmental
authorities than those of other accredited third party conformity
assessment bodies; and
The third party conformity assessment body does not
exercise undue influence over other governmental authorities on matters
affecting its operations or on decisions by other governmental
authorities controlling distribution of products based on outcomes of
the third party conformity assessment body's conformity assessments.
The Commission will accept the accreditation of a governmental
third party conformity assessment body if it meets the baseline
accreditation requirements of part II.A of this document and meets the
additional conditions stated here. To obtain this assurance, CPSC staff
will engage the governmental entities relevant to the accreditation
request.
III. How does a third party conformity assessment body apply for
acceptance of its accreditation?
The Commission has established an electronic accreditation
acceptance and registration system accessed via the Commission's Web
site at http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/labaccred.html. The applicant
provides, in English, basic identifying information concerning its
location, the type of accreditation it is seeking, and electronic
copies of its ILAC-MRA accreditation certificate and scope statement,
and firewalled third party conformity assessment body training
document(s), if relevant.
Commission staff will review the submission for accuracy and
completeness. In the case of baseline third party conformity assessment
bodies and government-owned or government-operated conformity
assessment bodies, when that review and any necessary discussions with
the applicant are completed satisfactorily, the third party conformity
assessment body in question is added to the CPSC's list of accredited
third party conformity assessment bodies at http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/labaccred.html. In the case of a firewalled conformity assessment
body seeking accredited status, when the staff's review is complete,
the staff transmits its recommendation on accreditation to the
Commission for consideration. (A third party conformity assessment body
that ultimately may seek acceptance as a firewalled third party
conformity assessment body may initially request acceptance as a third
party conformity assessment body accredited for testing of children's
products other than those of its owners.) If the Commission accepts a
staff recommendation to accredit a firewalled conformity assessment
body, the firewalled conformity assessment body then will be added to
the CPSC's list of accepted third party conformity assessment bodies.
In each case, the Commission will notify the third party conformity
assessment body electronically of acceptance of its accreditation. All
information to support an accreditation acceptance request must be
provided in the English language.
Once the Commission adds a third party conformity assessment body
to the list, the third party conformity assessment body then may begin
testing of children's products to support certification of compliance
with the regulation identified earlier in part I of this document for
which it has been accredited.
IV. Acceptance of Children's Product Certifications Based on Third
Party Conformity Assessment Body Testing to the New Safety Standard for
Toddler Beds Prior to Their Effective Date
Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Commission is
publishing a new safety standard for toddler beds, which will be
codified at 16 CFR part 1217. The effect of this notice of requirements
and the final rule is that each manufacturer (including the importer)
or private labeler of a product subject to 16 CFR part 1217 must have
any such product manufactured on or after October 20, 2011, tested by a
third party conformity assessment body accredited to do so and must
issue a certificate of compliance with 16 CFR part 1217 based on that
testing.
To ease the transition to the new standards and avoid a
``bottlenecking'' of products at conformity assessment bodies at or
near the effective date of 16 CFR part 1217, the Commission will accept
certifications based on testing that occurred prior to the effective
date of the new standard in certain prescribed circumstances. However,
any such testing must comport with all CPSC requirements, including:
1. The product \1\ was tested by a third party conformity
assessment body that was ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by a signatory to the
ILAC-MRA at the time of the test. For firewalled conformity assessment
bodies, the firewalled conformity assessment body must be one that the
Commission has accredited by order at or before the time the
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product was tested, even if the order did not include the test methods
specified in this notice. If the third party conformity assessment body
has not been accredited as a firewalled conformity assessment body by a
Commission order, the Commission will not accept a certificate of
compliance based on testing performed by the third party conformity
assessment body before it is accredited, by Commission order, as a
firewalled conformity assessment body;
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\1\ The CPSIA requires that certification be based on testing of
sufficient samples of the product or samples that are identical in
all material respects to the product.
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2. The third party conformity assessment body's application is
accepted by the CPSC by October 20, 2011, as established by the
Commission;
3. The test results show compliance with 16 CFR part 1217;
4. The product was tested on or after April 20, 2011 and before
October 20, 2011; and
5. The third party conformity assessment body's accreditation
remains in effect through the effective date for mandatory third party
testing and manufacturer/private labeler certification for the subject
product's respective regulation.
Dated: April 14, 2011.
Todd A. Stevenson,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2011-9422 Filed 4-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P