CPSC Invites Public Comments on Voluntary Standards Activities and Research Reports

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2004
Release # 05-014 		CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Ken Giles, (301) 504-7908 or Eric Criss, (301) 504-7908


CPSC Invites Public Comments on Voluntary Standards Activities and Research Reports

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today launched two pilot programs to invite public comments on product safety voluntary standards positions and research reports. CPSC published a notice in today’s Federal Register (text) (pdf) asking the public to comment on proposed staff positions on voluntary standards and on staff and contractor research reports. CPSC wants to open staff activities for public review and comment, making the agency more transparent and obtaining public input before CPSC staff positions are finalized.

CPSC staff members participate, as non-voting members, in a number of steps in the voluntary standards development process. Staffers often provide expert advice and research, technical assistance, and injury and death data and analysis. CPSC staff will typically submit recommendations concerning new consumer product safety standards or modification of existing voluntary standards. These recommendations are often based on previous CPSC research.

At present, CPSC staff is involved in over 60 consumer product voluntary standards. For this pilot effort, CPSC selected eight voluntary standards. These include: smoke alarms, arc-fault circuit interrupters, ground-fault circuit interrupters, pool and spa safety vacuum-release systems, bunk beds, gasoline containers for child-resistance, portable generators, and garage door and gate operators. A new area of the CPSC Web site, www.cpsc.gov/volstd/standards.html, invites public comment on newly developed staff recommendations before they are submitted for consideration to voluntary standards organizations.

In addition, CPSC invites public comment on staff and contractor research reports. At a new area of the CPSC Web site, www.cpsc.gov/volstd/research/research.html, five reports are posted for public comment. These reports address electric clothes dryers, sound effectiveness of smoke alarms, paper shredder machines, fire indicators, and concentric-ring smooth-top range sensors. CPSC staff will assess and take account of public comments on these reports.

This new pilot program will operate for six months, after which CPSC will make a judgment about extending or modifying the program.