The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is considering the possible exemption of spandex from testing under the standard for the flammability of clothing textiles.
Comments are being sought on the move, which could see spandex added to the list of fabrics not liable to the testing requirements of 16 CFR 1610.
CPSC is also seeking information about the equipment and procedures specified in the standard – and possible ways to update those provisions to reduce the burdens associated with the testing requirements.
The standard for the flammability of clothing textiles applies to clothing and textiles intended to be used for clothing, and aims to reduce the risk of injury or death by prohibiting the use of dangerously flammable clothing textiles.
The regulation provides testing requirements, establishes three classes of flammability, sets out the criteria for classifying textiles, and prohibits the use of textiles that exhibit rapid and intense burning.
However, based on “experience gained from years of testing,” certain fabrics consistently yield acceptable results so are currently exempted from the testing requirements.
These are plain surface fabrics, regardless of fibre content, weighing 2.6 ounces per square yard or more; and all fabrics, both plain surface and raised-fibre surface textiles, regardless of weight, made entirely from any of the following fibres or entirely from a combination of the following fibres: acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester, wool.
As well as looking at whether to add spandex to the list of exempted fabrics, the CPSC is also mulling other possible changes to the 16 CFR 1610 standard.
This includes the availability and specifications of a particular stop thread used for flammability testing, which is stretched from the spool through stop guides. The stop thread must be “a spool of No. 50, white, mercerized, 100% cotton sewing thread.”
And as part of the dry-cleaning procedure, the solvent perchloroethylene is required in 16 CFR 1610. The CPSC is aware of the limited availability of, and legal restrictions on the use of, perchloroethylene solvent – so is requesting comments on the testing burden or cost of performing the dry-cleaning procedure with perchloroethylene solvent and also potential alternative solvents that may be used.
Burning behaviour codes in the standard to describe the burning behaviour of raised surface fabrics are also deemed to be confusing. Hence, the CPSC is requesting comments on the use or needed clarification of these codes.
The deadline for submitting comments is 24 June 2019.
