[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 1996)] [Notices] [Pages 1363-1364] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-454] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Request for Comments Concerning Proposed Reinstatement of Approval of a Collection of Information--Carpets and Rugs
Agency
Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Action
Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary
As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission requests comments on a proposed reinstatement of approval of a collection of information from manufacturers and importers of carpets
and rugs. The collection of information is in regulations implementing the Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs (16 CFR Part 1630) and the Standard for the Surface Flammability of Small Carpets and Rugs (16 CFR Part 1631). These regulations establish requirements for testing and recordkeeping for manufacturers and importers who furnish guaranties for products subject to the carpet flammability standards. The Commission will consider all comments received in response to this notice before requesting a reinstatement 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 March 19, 1996.
Addresses
Written comments should be captioned ``Carpets and Rugs'' and mailed to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207, or delivered to that office, room 502, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland.
For Further Information Contact
For information about the proposed reinstatement of approval of the collection of information, or to obtain a copy of 16 CFR Parts 1630 and 1631, call or write Nicholas V. Marchica, Director, Office of Planning and Evaluation, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207; telephone (301) 504-0416, extension 2243.
Supplementary Information
A. The Standards
Carpets and rugs which have one dimension greater than six feet, a surface area greater than 24 square feet, and are manufactured for sale in or imported into the United States are subject to the Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs (16 CFR Part 1630). Carpets and rugs which have no dimension greater than 6 feet, a surface area not greater than 24 square feet, and are manufactured for sale in or imported into the United States are subject to the Standard for the Surface Flammability of Small Carpets and Rugs (16 CFR Part 1631). Both of these standards were issued under the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) (15 U.S.C. 1291 et seq.). Both standards require that products subject to their provisions must pass a flammability test which measures resistance to a small, timed ignition source. Small carpets and rugs which do not pass the flammability test comply with the standard for small carpets and rugs if they are permanently labeled with the statement: ``FLAMMABLE (FAILS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STANDARD FF 2-70): SHOULD NOT BE USED NEAR SOURCES OF IGNITION.'' 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.'' Many manufacturers and importers of carpets and rugs issue guaranties that the products they produce or import comply with the applicable standard. Regulations implementing the carpet flammability standards prescribe requirements for testing and recordkeeping by firms which issue guaranties. See 16 CFR Part 1630, Subpart B, and 16 CFR Part 1631, Subpart B. The Commission uses the information compiled and maintained by firms which issue these guaranties to help protect the public from risks of injury or death associated with carpet fires. 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 regulations under control number 3041-0017. OMB's most recent extension of approval expired on April 30, 1995. The Commission now proposes to request a reinstatement of approval without change for the collection of information in the regulations.
B. Estimated Burden
The Commission staff estimates that about 120 manufacturers and importers of carpets and rugs issue guaranties for products subject to the flammability standards for carpets and rugs. The Commission staff estimates that the regulations will impose an average annual burden of about 530 hours on each of those firms. That burden will result from conducting the testing required by the regulations and maintaining records of the results of that testing. The total annual burden imposed by the regulations on manufacturers and importers of carpets and rugs will be about 63,600 hours. The hourly wage for the testing and recordkeeping required to conduct the testing and maintain records required by the regulations is about $12, for an estimated annual cost to the industry of $763,200. The Commission will expend approximately one-half month of professional staff time reviewing and evaluating the records maintained by manufacturers and importers of carpets and rugs. The annual cost to the Federal government of the collection of information in these regulations is estimated to be $2,800.
C. Request for Comments
The Commission solicits written comments from all interested persons about the proposed extension of approval of the collection of information in the regulations implementing the flammability standards for carpets and rugs. The Commission specifically solicits information about the hourly burden and monetary costs imposed by the collection of information on firms subject to this collection of information. The Commission also seeks information relevant to the following topics:
• Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the Commission's functions; • Whether the information will have practical utility for the Commission; • 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 form of information technology.
Dated: December 18, 1995. Sadye E. Dunn, Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission. [FR Doc. 96-454 Filed 1-18-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6355-01-P