Invitation to Stakeholders

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Chemistry and Flammability Division
Consumer Product Safety Bureau
MacDonald Building
123 Slater Street
Address Locator: 3504D
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K9

Dear Stakeholder:

Subject: Proposed Technical Amendments to Schedule I to the Hazardous Products Act, the Hazardous Products (Expansion Gates and Expandable Enclosures) Regulations and the Playpens Regulations

Purpose

The purpose of this letter is to solicit your comments regarding the proposed technical amendments to the above noted legislation in which all references to the test method D1230-61, the Standard Method of Test for Flammability of Clothing Textiles, a standard of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) are to be replaced with the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) standard, CAN/CGSB 4.2 NO. 27.5-94, Textile Test Methods - Flame Resistance - 45° Angle Test - One Second Flame Impingement, to be re-published in October 2006.

Background

Health Canada is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) and its regulations. The purpose of the HPA is to protect the health and safety of Canadians by prohibiting or regulating the sale, advertisement and importation of hazardous products or potentially hazardous products.

Test method D 1230-61, the Standard Method of Test for Flammability of Clothing Textiles, a standard of the American Society for Testing and Materials is referenced throughout Schedule I to the Hazardous Products Act and in several Regulations. It was originally incorporated by reference in order to protect the Canadian public from the flammability hazards associated with specific products. This standard has been revised several times in the last 45 years and the original 1961 version is no longer published, nor available for purchase.

An identical bilingual standard was published by the CGSB in 1994 and reviewed in June 2000, CAN/CGSB 4.2 NO. 27.5-94, Textile Test Methods - Flame Resistance - 45°Angle Test - One Second Flame Impingement. This Canadian standard is currently undergoing minor revisions and is due to be re-published in October 2006.

Referencing the CGSB standard would provide the Canadian industry with a current, bilingual and accessible standard. Additionally, this technical amendment would continue to maintain the level of protection to the Canadian public from the flammability hazards associated with specified products. Furthermore, this initiative will result in no new costs to industry or the government since the same requirements are set out in the CGSB standard, thereby allowing for existing compliance and enforcement mechanisms.

Proposed Changes to the Legislation

The ASTM standard is referenced in three items in Schedule I to the HPA.

Item 4, Part I of Schedule I to the HPA:
Products made in whole or in part of textile fibres, other than products included in items 5 and 13 of this Part and items 14, 29, 30, 31.1 and 40 of Part II of this Schedule, that, when tested in accordance with method D1230-61, the Standard Method of Test for Flammability of Clothing Textiles, a standard of the American Society for Testing and Materials, have a time of flame spread of:

(a) 3.5 seconds or less, where the products do not have a raised fibre surface; or
(b) 4 seconds or less, where the products have a raised fibre surface and exhibit ignition or fusion of their base fibres.

Change to:
Products made in whole or in part of textile fibres, other than products included in items 5 and 13 of this Part and items 14, 29, 30, 31.1 and 40 of Part II of this Schedule, that, when tested in accordance with the Canadian General Standards Board standard CAN/CGSB 4.2 NO. 27.5-94, Textile Test Methods - Flame Resistance - 45° Angle Test - One Second Flame Impingement, published October 2006, have a time of flame spread of:

(a) 3.5 seconds or less, where the products do not have a raised fibre surface; or
(b) 4 seconds or less, where the products have a raised fibre surface and exhibit ignition or fusion of their base fibres.

Item 5, Part I of Schedule I to the HPA:
Children's sleepwear, other than products included in item 39 of Part II of this Schedule, in sizes up to and including size 14X that, when tested in accordance with method D1230-61, the Standard Method of Test for Flammability of Clothing Textiles, a standard of the American Society for Testing and Materials, have a time of flame spread of 7 seconds or less.

Change to:
Children's sleepwear, other than products included in item 39 of Part II of this Schedule, in sizes up to and including size 14X that, when tested in accordance with the Canadian General Standards Board standard CAN/CGSB 4.2 NO. 27.5-94, Textile Test Methods - Flame Resistance - 45° Angle Test - One Second Flame Impingement, published October 2006, have a time of flame spread of 7 seconds or less.

Item 13, Part I of Schedule I to the HPA:
Products made in whole or in part of textile fibres and designed for use on a pillow or on a bed, cot, crib or other furniture designed to be used for sleeping that, when tested in accordance with method D1230-61, the Standard Method of Test for Flammability of Clothing Textiles, a standard of the American Society for Testing and Materials, have a time of flame spread of:

(a) 7 seconds or less, where the products do not have a raised fibre surface; or
(b) 7 seconds or less, where the products have a raised fibre surface and exhibit ignition or fusion of their base fibres.

Change to:
Products made in whole or in part of textile fibres and designed for use on a pillow or on a bed, cot, crib or other furniture designed to be used for sleeping that, when tested in accordance with the Canadian General Standards Board standard CAN/CGSB 4.2 NO. 27.5-94, Textile Test Methods - Flame Resistance - 45° Angle Test - One Second Flame Impingement, published October 2006, have a time of flame spread of:

(a) 7 seconds or less, where the products do not have a raised fibre surface; or
(b) 7 seconds or less, where the products have a raised fibre surface and exhibit ignition or fusion of their base fibres.

Proposed Changes to the Regulations:

The ASTM standard is referenced in two Regulations in the HPA.

Hazardous Products (Expansion Gates and Expandable Enclosures) Regulations item 5, subsection 7:
No component of a product made in whole or in part of a textile fibre shall, when tested in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) method D 1230-61, Standard Test Method for Flammability of Clothing Textiles, reapproved in 1972, have a time of flame spread of:

(a) seven seconds or less, where the component does not have a raised fibre surface; or
(b) seven seconds or less, where the component has a raised fibre surface and exhibits ignition or fusion of its base fibres.

Change to:
No component of a product made in whole or in part of a textile fibre shall, when tested in accordance with the Canadian General Standards Board standard CAN/CGSB 4.2 NO. 27.5-94, Textile Test Methods - Flame Resistance - 45° Angle Test - One Second Flame Impingement, published October 2006, have a time of flame spread of:

(a) seven seconds or less, where the component does not have a raised fibre surface; or
(b) seven seconds or less, where the component has a raised fibre surface and exhibits ignition or fusion of its base fibres.

Playpens Regulations item 5, subsection 6:
Every component of a product made of a textile material or plastic film shall, when tested in accordance with the method prescribed in the Standard Method of Test for Flammability of Clothing Textiles ASTM D 1230-61, being a standard of the American Society for Testing and Materials, have a time of flame spread of not less than seven seconds.

Change to:
Every component of a product made of a textile material or plastic film shall, when tested in accordance with the Canadian General Standards Board standard CAN/CGSB 4.2 NO. 27.5-94, Textile Test Methods - Flame Resistance - 45° Angle Test - One Second Flame Impingement, published October 2006, have a time of flame spread of not less than seven seconds.

Comments

Please provide your comments and suggestions by October 13, 2006.

• Comment form

Sheila Davidson
Project Officer
Chemistry and Flammability Division
MacDonald Building
123 Slater Street, A.L. 3504D
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0K9
Fax: (613) 952-9138 (Attention: Sheila Davidson)
E-mail: sheila_davidson@hc-sc.gc.ca

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