CPSC Vote Eliminates Third Party Testing Requirement for Children's Toys and Child Care Articles with Certain Plastics

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously 5 to 0 to remove seven plastics from the requirement to conduct independent third party testing for compliance with the mandatory phthalates prohibitions on children's toys and child care articles. The decision reduces the burden of third party testing while assuring compliance with CPSC requirements. The rule goes into effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. 

The Commission determined that children's toys and child care articles containing polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), general-purpose polystyrene (GPPS), medium-impact polystyrene (MIPS), and super-high-impact polystyrene (SHIPS) with specified additives would comply with CPSC's requirements with a high degree of assurance. Based on this determination, the seven plastics with specified additives do not require third party testing for prohibited phthalates.

The manufacture, sale, distribution or importation into the United States of children's toys and child care articles containing concentrations of more than 0.1 percent of six specified phthalates is still regulated under section 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

CPSC Commissioner's Statements
Statement of Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle

About U.S. CPSC:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.  Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

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SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

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