U.S. CPSC issues final rule to amend the Federal Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads (16 CFR Part 1632) with revised Standard Reference Material cigarette, SRM 1196a.
On June 23, 2021, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission, or CPSC) issued a final rule1 to amend its Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads. The Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads (Standard), 16 CFR part 1632, issued pursuant to the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA), 15 U.S.C. 1191 et seq., includes a test to determine the ignition resistance of a mattress or mattress pad when exposed to a lighted cigarette.2
The ignition source cigarette (Standard Reference Material cigarette SRM 1196) specified in the original standard for use in the performance tests, is no longer available for purchase. This final rule amends the mattress standard to require the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) revised Standard Reference Material cigarette, SRM 1196a, as the ignition source for testing.
As reported earlier3, the CPSC did exhaustive research with a pilot study followed a full-scale study to evaluate the ignition performance of the new SRM 1196a. Evidence was taken from these, plus NIST certification, CPSC compliance data and data from the 2010 transition from the original ignition source to SRM 119. The CPSC review showed that SRM 1196a cigarettes are statistically equivalent to SRM 1196 and stated: ‘on these bases, the Commission found that SRM 1196a is a comparable, safety neutral replacement for SRM 1196.’
The new amended standard is effective from July 23, 2021. With the amended standard, it is the responsibility of manufacturers and importers to ensure that their mattress products are tested using SRM1196a. If a supplier’s mattress product does not comply with the requirements, they will need to either modify the product, or cease their manufacture or importation. Additionally, the Consumer Product Safety Information Act requires manufacturers and importers of children’s mattresses to certify that these comply with the requirements of the standard.
References:
1 86 FR 32758 - Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads; Amendment
2 Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads (FF 4-72, AMENDED)
3 US CPSC Proposes Changes to SRM for Mattress Flammability Standards
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