16 CFR 1630 Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs

Consumer Product Safety Commission § 1630.1 does not comply with the children’s sleepwear flammability standards in a manner that may cause the item to be viewed by the consumer as an item of children’s sleepwear.

(Sec. 5 Pub. L. 90–189, 81 Stat. 569, 15 U.S.C.

1194; Sec. 30(b), Pub. L. 92–573, 86 Stat. 1231.

15 U.S.C. 2079(b); 5 U.S.C. 553)

[49 FR 10251, Mar. 20, 1984, as amended at 64 FR 2833, Jan. 19, 1999]

PART 1630—STANDARD FOR THE

SURFACE FLAMMABILITY OF

CARPETS AND RUGS (FF 1–70)

Subpart A—The Standard

Sec.

1630.1 Definitions.

1630.2 Scope and application.

1630.3 General requirements.

1630.4 Test procedure.

1630.5 Labeling.

Subpart B—Rules and Regulations

1630.31 Reasonable and representative tests

and recordkeeping requirements.

1630.32 Carpets and rugs with fire-retardant

treatment.

Subpart C—Washing Procedures

1630.61 Hide carpets and rugs—alternative

washing procedure.

1630.62 Wool flokati carpets and rugs—alter-

native washing procedure.

1630.63 Suspension of washing requirements

for carpets and rugs with alumina tri-hydrate in the backing.

Subpart D—Interpretations and Policies

1630.81 Policy on recall of noncomplying

carpets and rugs.

SOURCE: 40 FR 59931, Dec. 30, 1975, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A—The Standard

AUTHORITY: Sec. 4, 67 Stat. 112, as amended, 81 Stat. 569–70; 15 U.S.C. 1193.

§ 1630.1 Definitions.

In addition to the definitions given in section 2 of the Flammable Fabrics Act, as amended (Sec. 1, 81 Stat. 568; 15 U.S.C. 1191), and the procedures under that act for setting standards (part 1607 of this chapter), the following defini-tions apply for the purposes of this Standard:

(a) Acceptance Criterion means that at least seven out of eight individual specimens of a given carpet or rug shall meet the test criterion as defined in this Standard.

(b) Test Criterion means the basis for judging whether or not a single speci-men of carpet or rug has passed the test, i.e., the charred portion of a test-ed specimen shall not extend to within

2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening frame at any point.

(c) Carpet means any type of finished product made in whole or in part of fabric or related material and intended for use or which may reasonably be ex-pected to be used as a floor covering which is exposed to traffic in homes, offices, or other places of assembly or accommodation, and which may or may not be fastened to the floor by me-chanical means such as nails, tacks, barbs, staples, adhesives, and which has one dimension greater than 1.83 m.

(6 ft.) and a surface area greater than

2.23 m. 2 (24 sq. ft.). Products such as ‘‘carpet squares’’, with one dimension less than 1.83 m. (6 ft.) and a surface area less than 2.23 m.2 (24 sq. ft.), but intended to be assembled upon installa-tion into assemblies which may have one dimension greater than 1.83 m. (6 ft.) and a surface area greater than 2.23 m.2 (24 sq. ft.), are included in this defi-nition. Mats, hides with natural or syn-thetic fibers, and other similar prod-ucts in the above, defined dimensions are included in this definition, but re-silient floor coverings such as lino-leum, asphalt tile and vinyl tile are not.

(d) Rug means the same as carpet and shall be accepted as interchangeable with carpet.

(e) Traffic Surface means a surface of a carpet or rug which is intended to be walked upon.

(f) Timed Burning Tablet (pill) means a methenamine tablet, flat, with a nominal heat of combustion value of 7180 calories/gram, a mass of 150 mg ±5mg and a nominal diameter of 6mm.

(g) Fire-Retardant Treatment means any process to which a carpet or rug has been exposed which significantly

16 CFR Ch. II (1–1–12 Edition) § 1630.2

1 6.35 mm (1⁄4 in.) cement asbestos board is a suitable material.

2 Option 1 of ASTM D 2654–67T, ‘‘Methods of Test for Amount of Moisture in Textile Ma-terials,’’ describes a satisfactory oven. (‘‘1969 Book of ASTM Standards,’’ part 24, pub-lished by the American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race Street, Philadel-phia, Pa. 19103.)

decreases the flammability of that car-pet or rug and enables it to meet the acceptance criterion of this Standard.

[40 FR 59931, Dec. 30, 1975, as amended at 72 FR 60767, Oct. 26, 2007]

§ 1630.2 Scope and application.

(a) This Standard provides a test method to determine the surface flam-mability of carpets and rugs when ex-posed to a standard small source of ig-nition under carefully prescribed draft-protected conditions. It is applicable to all types of carpets and rugs used as floor covering materials regardless of their method of fabrication or whether they are made of natural or synthetic fibers or films, or combinations of or substitutes for these.

(b) One of a kind, carpet or rug, such as an antique, an Oriental, or a hide, may be excluded from testing under this Standard pursuant to conditions established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

§ 1630.3 General requirements.

(a) Summary of test method. This method involves the exposure of each of eight conditioned, replicate speci-mens of a given carpet or rug to a standard igniting source in a draft-pro-tected environment, and measurement of the proximity of the charred portion to the edge of the hole in the pre-scribed flattening frame.

(b) Test criterion. A specimen passes the test if the charred portion does not extend to within 2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening frame at any point.

(c) Acceptance criterion. At least seven of the eight specimens shall meet the test criterion in order to conform with this Standard.

§ 1630.4 Test procedure.

(a) Apparatus—(1) Test chamber. The test chamber shall consist of an open top hollow cube made of noncombus-tible material 1 with inside dimensions

30.48 × 40.48 × 30.48 cm. (12 × 12 × 12 in.)

and a minimum of 6.35 (1⁄4 in.) wall thickness. The flat bottom of the box shall be made of the same material as the sides and shall be easily removable.

The sides shall be fastened together with screws or brackets and taped to prevent air leakage into the box during use.

NOTE: A minimum of two chambers and two extra bottoms is suggested for efficient operation.

(2) Flattening frame. A steel plate,

22.86 × 22.86 cm. (9 × 9 in.), 6.35 mm. (1⁄4 in.) thick with a 20.32 cm. (8 in.) diame-ter hole in its center is required to hold the carpet or rug flat during the course of the test. It is recommended that one be provided for each test chamber.

(3) Standard igniting source. A methe-namine tablet, flat, with a nominal heat of combustion value of 7180 cal-ories/gram, a mass of 150 mg ±5 mg and a nominal diameter of 6mm. These tab-lets shall be stored in a desiccator over a desiccant for 24 hours prior to use.

(Small quantities of absorbed water may cause the tablets to fracture when first ignited. If a major fracture occurs, any results from that test shall be ig-nored, and it shall be repeated.)

(4) Test specimens. Each test specimen shall be a 22.86 × 22.86 cm. (9 × 9 in.) sec-tion of the carpet or rug to be tested.

Eight specimens are required.

(5) Circulating air oven. A forced cir-culation drying oven capable of remov-ing the moisture from the specimens when maintained at 105 °C. (221 °F.) for 2 hours. 2

(6) Desiccating cabinet. An airtight and moisture tight cabinet capable of holding the floor covering specimens horizontally without contacting each other during the cooling period fol-lowing drying, and containing silica gel desiccant.

(7) Gloves. Nonhygroscopic gloves (such as rubber polyethylene) for han-dling the sample after drying, and rais-ing the pile on specimens prior to test-ing.

(8) Hood. A hood capable of being closed and having its draft turned off during each test and capable of rapidly removing the products of combustion

Consumer Product Safety Commission § 1630.4

3 If the specimens are moist when received, permit them to air-dry at laboratory condi-tions prior to placement in the oven. A satis-factory preconditioning procedure may be found in ASTM D 1776–67, ‘‘Conditioning Tex-tiles and Textile Products for Testing.’’ (‘‘1969 Book of ASTM Standards’’, part 24, published by the American Society for Test-ing and Materials, 1916 Race Street, Phila-delphia, Pa. 19103.)

following each test. The front or sides of the hood should be transparent to permit observation of the tests in progress.

(9) Mirror. A small mirror mounted above each test chamber at an angle to permit observation of the specimen from outside of the hood.

(10) Vacuum cleaner. A vacuum clean-er to remove all loose material from each specimen prior to conditioning.

All surfaces of the vacuum cleaner con-tacting the specimen shall be flat and smooth.

(b) Sampling—(1)(i) Selection of sam-ples. Select a sample of the material representative of the lot and large enough to permit cutting eight test specimens 22.86 × 22.86 cm. (9 × 9 in.), free from creases, fold marks, delaminations, or other distortions.

The test specimens should contain the most flammable parts of the traffic surface at their centers. The most flammable area may be determined on the basis of experience or through pre-testing.

(ii) If the carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment, or is made of fi-bers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, the selected sample or over-sized specimens thereof shall be washed, prior to cutting of test speci-mens after they have been washed and dried either 10 times in accordance with sections 8.2.2, 8.2.3, and 8.3.1(A) of AATCC Test Method 124–1996 ‘‘Appear-ance of Fabrics after Repeated Home Laundering,’’ using wash temperature V (60° ±3 °C, 140° ±5 °F) specified in Table II of that method, and the water level, agitator speed, washing time, spin speed and final spin cycle specified for ‘‘Normal/Cotton Sturdy’’ in Table III, and drying shall be performed in accordance with section 8.3.1(A) of that test method, Tumble Dry, maximum load 3.64 Kg (8 pounds), using the ex-haust temperature (66° ±5 °C, 150° ±10 °F) and cool down time of 10 minutes specified in the ‘‘Durable Press’’ condi-tions of Table IV; or such number of times by another washing and drying procedure which the Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined to be equivalent of AATCC Test Method 124–1996. Alternatively, the selected sample or oversized specimens thereof may be washed, drycleaned, or sham-pooed 10 times, prior to cutting of test specimens, in such manner as the man-ufacturer or other interested party shall previously have established to the satisfaction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is normally used for that type of carpet or rug in serv-ice.

(iii) AATCC Test Method 124–1996 ‘‘Appearance of Fabrics after Repeated Home Laundering,’’ is found in Tech-nical Manual of the American Associa-tion of Textile Chemists and Colorists, vol. 73, 1997, which is incorporated by reference. Copies of this document are available from the American Associa-tion of Textile Chemists and Colorists, P.O. Box 12215, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709. This docu-ment is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Ad-ministration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202–741–6030, or go to: http:// www.archives.gov/federallregister/ codeloflfederallregulations/ ibrllocations.html. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Di-rector of the Federal Register in ac-cordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.

(2) Cutting. Cut eight 22.86±0.64 cm.

(9±1⁄4 in.) square specimens of each car-pet or rug to be tested to comply with paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(c) Conditioning. (1) Clean each speci-men with the vacuum cleaner until it is free of all loose ends left during the manufacturing process and from any material that may have been worked into the pile during handling. Care must be exercised to avoid ‘‘fuzzing’’ of the pile yarn.

(2) Place the specimens in the drying oven in a manner that will permit free circulation of the air at 105 °C. (221 °F.)

around them for 2 hours. 3 Remove the specimens from the oven with gloved hands and place them horizontally in

16 CFR Ch. II (1–1–12 Edition) § 1630.5 the desiccator with traffic surface up and free from contact with each other until cooled to room temperature, but in no instance less than 1 hour.

(d) Testing. (1) Place the test chamber in the draft-protected environment (hood with draft off) with its bottom in place. Wearing gloves, remove a test specimen from the desiccator and brush its surface with a gloved hand in such a manner as to raise its pile.

Place the specimen on the center of the floor of the test chamber, traffic sur-face up, exercising care that the speci-men is horizontal and flat. Place the flattening frame on the specimen and position a methenamine tablet on one of its flat sides in the center of the

20.32 cm. (8 in.) hole.

(2) Ignite the tablet by touching a lighted match or an equivalent igniting source carefully to its top. If more than 2 minutes elapse between the re-moval of the specimen from the desic-cator and the ignition of the tablet, the conditioning must be repeated.

(3) Continue each test until one of the following conditions occurs:

(i) The last vestige of flame or glow disappears. (This is frequently accom-panied by a final puff of smoke.)

(ii) The flaming or smoldering has approached within 2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening frame at any point.

(4) When all combustion has ceased, ventilate the hood and measure the shortest distance between the edge of the hole in the flattening frame and the charred area. Record the distance measured for each specimen.

(5) Remove the specimen from the chamber and remove any burn residue from the floor of the chamber. Before proceeding to the next test, the floor must be cooled to normal room tem-perature or replaced with one that is at normal room temperature.

(e) Report. The number of specimens of the eight tested in which the charred area does not extend to within 2.54 cm.

(1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening frame shall be reported.

(f) Interpretation of results. If the charred area does not extend to within

2.54 cm. (1.0 in.) of the edge of the hole in the flattening frame at any point for at least seven of the eight specimens, the carpet or rug meets the acceptance criterion.

[40 FR 59931, Dec. 30, 1975, as amended at 65 FR 12932, Mar. 10, 2000; 72 FR 60767, Oct. 26, 2007]

§ 1630.5 Labeling.

If the carpet or rug has had a fire-re-tardant treatment or is made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treat-ment, it shall be labeled with the letter ‘‘T’’ pursuant to conditions established by the Consumer Product Safety Com-mission.

Subpart B—Rules and Regulations

§ 1630.31 Reasonable and representa-tive tests and recordkeeping re-quirements.

EXPLANATION: Section 8 of the act, among other things, provides that no person shall be subject to criminal prosecution under sec-tion 7 of the act for a violation of section 3 of the act if such person establishes a guar-anty received in good faith signed by and containing the name and address of the per-son by whom the product, fabric, or related material guaranteed was manufactured, or from whom it was received; to the effect that reasonable and representative tests made in accordance with applicable flammability standards show that the product, fabric, or related material covered by the guaranty conforms with such standards.

While a person establishing a guaranty re-ceived in good faith would not be subject to criminal prosecution under section 7 of the act, he and/or the merchandise involved, would nevertheless remain subject to the ad-ministrative processes of the Consumer Product Safety Commission under section 5 of the act as well as injunction and con-demnation procedures under section 6 there-

of. A guarantor derives no immunity of any kind, civil or criminal, from the issuance of his own guaranty or performance of the rea-sonable and representative tests prescribed by this section.

The furnishing of guaranties is not manda-tory under the act. The purpose of this sec-tion is to establish minimum requirements for reasonable and representative tests upon which guaranties may be based. The section does not have any legal effect beyond that specified in section 8 of the act.

(a) For the purposes of this section the following definitions apply:

(1) Standard means the standards in subpart A of this part.

(2) Test means a test as prescribed by the Standard.

Consumer Product Safety Commission § 1630.31

(3) Acceptance criterion means ‘‘ac-ceptance criterion’’ as defined in the Standard.

(4) Test criterion means ‘‘test cri-terion’’ as defined in the Standard.

(5) Carpet and rug mean ‘‘carpet’’ and ‘‘rug’’ as defined in the Standard.

(6) Quality of machine-made carpets or rugs means any line of carpets or rugs, essentially machine-made, which are substantially alike in all respects, in-cluding, as applicable, constructional units (needles, pitch, rows, shot, stitch-es, and weight), dye class, dyestuff, dyeing application method, gage, pile levels, pile height, average pile thick-ness, pile weight, pile yarn, total thickness, total weight, tufts, tuft length, tuft bind, warp yarn, filler yarn, yarn ends per needle, loop length, backing, back coating, primary back-ing, secondary backing, backing thick-ness, backing fabric count, backing warp and filler yarns, including stuffer and dead frame yards, backing weight, fiber and/or other materials content, and fire-retardant treatment received including the specifications and quan-tity of chemicals used.

(7) Quality of handmade or hide carpets or rugs means any line of carpets or rugs which are essentially handmade and/or are essentially hides and which are alike in all respects, including those specified in paragraph (a)(6) of this section, where applicable, except that such carpets or rugs may vary where unavoidable and/or may vary be-cause of natural variations in hides of the same type, so long as such vari-ations do not affect flammability.

(b) The tests set forth in paragraphs (c), (d), (e), and (f) of this section are reasonable and representative tests with regard to any carpets or rugs or qualities thereof to which they apply, except, however, that any test of any quality, whenever performed, which does not show a meeting of the accept-ance criterion of the Standard shall be considered the reasonable and rep-resentative test for that quality and no guaranty with respect thereto shall be issued after the performance of such test. Immediately before conditioning and testing, each carpet or rug speci-men tested pursuant to this section shall be in the form in which the carpet or rug or quality thereof which it rep-resents is sold or offered for sale to the ultimate consumer.

(c) Reasonable and representative tests with respect to any quality of machine-made carpets or rugs are (1) at least one test performed upon com-mencement of production, importation, or other receipt thereof, (2) at least one test performed after production, impor-tation, or other receipt of the first 25,000 linear yards of the quality, and

(3) at least one test after production, importation, or other receipt of every 50,000 linear yards of the quality there-after. Except, however, that tests need be performed only after production, importation, or receipt of each addi-tional 100,000 linear yards of the qual-ity, so long as all 24 specimens required to be tested in a complete series of three required tests immediately pre-ceding any given test (eight out of eight specimens in each of the three preceding tests) meet the test cri-terion, rather than seven out of eight specimens, as permitted under the ac-ceptance criterion of the Standard.

(d) Reasonable and representative tests with respect to any quality of handmade or hide carpets or rugs are at least one test performed upon the commencement of production, impor-tation, or other receipt thereof and at least one test after production, impor-tation, or other receipt of every 10,000 square yards of the quality thereafter.

(e) Reasonable and representative tests of a one-of-a-kind carpet or rug, machine-made, handmade, or hide, is one test thereof or one test of an iden-tical representative sample.

(f) Guaranties for carpets or rugs in inventory upon the effective date of the Standard may be issued in the same manner as other guaranties are issued. Reasonable and representative tests with respect to qualities of such carpets or rugs are at least one test performed upon approximately the first linear yard and one test thereafter for each 25,000 linear yards of a quality of machine-made carpets or rugs and at least one test performed upon approxi-mately the first square yard and there-after for each 10,000 square yards of a category of handmade or hide carpets or rugs, in the order of the production, importation, or receipt by the guar-antor of that quality.

16 CFR Ch. II (1–1–12 Edition) § 1630.32

(g) Any person issuing a guaranty for one or more carpets or rugs or qualities thereof based on reasonable and rep-resentative tests, shall maintain the following records for a period of 3 years from the date the tests were performed, or in the case of paragraph (h) of this section, the date the guaranties were furnished. These records must be main-tained in the United States by a person subject to section 3 of the act:

(1) All identifying numbers, symbols, etc., manufacturing specifications in-cluding all other information described in paragraph (a)(6) of this section, as applicable, and source of products or raw materials used therein.

(2) A physical sample of each carpet or rug or quality thereof covered by the guaranty at least 6 inches by 6 inches in size (36 square inches).

(3) The original or a copy of the re-port of each test performed for pur-poses of the guaranty (whether or not such report shows a meeting of the ac-ceptance criterion) which shall disclose the date of the test, the results, and sufficient information to clearly iden-tify the carpet or rug tested.

(4) A record applicable to each test in paragraph (g)(3) of this section showing the approximate yardage at which it was performed. Records otherwise re-quired to be maintained in linear yards may be maintained in square yards on the basis of 4 square yards equals 1 lin-ear yard.

(h) Persons furnishing guaranties based on guaranties received by them shall maintain records showing the guaranty received and identification of the carpet or rug or quality thereof guaranteed in turn by them.

(i) Any person furnishing a carpet or rug guaranty under section 8(a) of the act who neglects or refuses to maintain and preserve the records prescribed in this section shall be deemed to have furnished a false guaranty under the provisions of section 8(b) of the act.

(Sec. 5, 67 Stat. 112, as amended, 81 Stat. 570, 15 U.S.C. 1194; sec. 8, 67 Stat. 114, as amended, 81 Stat. 572, 15 U.S.C. 1197)

§ 1630.32 Carpets and rugs with fire-retardant treatment.

(a) For the purposes of this section the following definitions apply:

(1) Carpet and rug mean ‘‘carpet’’ and ‘‘rug’’ as defined in § 1630.31(c).

(2) Fire-retardant treatment means ‘‘fire-retardant treatment’’ as defined in the standard of subpart A of this part.

(b) If a carpet or rug or small carpet or rug is manufactured, imported, or otherwise marketed or handled which has had a fire-retardant treatment or is made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, the letter ‘‘T’’ shall be set forth legibly and conspicu-ously, and shall appear at all times, on each label and/or invoice relating thereto pursuant to the requirements of the Textile Fiber Products Identi-fication Act, 15 U.S.C. 70, et seq., and the rules and regulations thereunder, whether or not such letter ‘‘T’’ appears elsewhere on said product. Samples, pieces, rolls, or squares used to pro-mote or effect the sale of such carpet or rug are subject to the aforemen-tioned requirements. As provided in the applicable portions of the aforesaid act and the rules and regulations thereunder, where a carpet or rug or a small carpet or rug; which has had a fire-retardant treatment or is made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, is sold to an ultimate con-sumer and was either custom made or commercially installed for such con-sumer, the labeling required by this section shall not apply with respect to the carpet or rug if an invoice or other paper relating thereto, containing the letter ‘‘T’’, legibly and conspicuously written, is delivered to the consumer in due course of business.

(c) No person subject to the Flam-mable Fabrics Act shall manufacture, import, distribute, or otherwise mar-ket or handle any carpet or rug or small carpet or rug, including samples, swatches, or specimens used to pro-mote or effect the sale thereof, which is not in compliance with this section.

(Sec. 5 of the Act, 67 Stat. 112, as amended by 81 Stat. 570, 15 U.S.C. 1194)

Subpart C—Washing Procedures

AUTHORITY: Secs. 4, 5, 67 Stat. 112, as amended, 81 Stat. 569–570; 15 U.S.C. 1193, 1194.

Consumer Product Safety Commission § 1630.61

§ 1630.61 Hide carpets and rugs—alter-native washing procedure.

(a) The Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs (FF 1–70) at § 1630.4(b)(1)(ii) provides that if a carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment, or is made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, the sample or oversized specimens thereof selected for testing under the standard shall be washed prior to the cutting of test specimens either 10 times under the washing and drying procedure prescribed in Method 124–1996 of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists or such number of times under such other washing and drying procedure as shall previously have been found to be equivalent by the Consumer Product Safety Commis-sion. AATCC Test Method 124–1996 ‘‘Appearance of Fabrics after Repeated Home Laundering,’’ is found in Tech-nical Manual of the American Associa-tion of Textile Chemists and Colorists, vol. 73, 1997, which is incorporated by reference. Copies of this document are available from the American Associa-tion of Textile Chemists and Colorists, P.O. Box 12215, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709. This docu-ment is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Ad-ministration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202–741–6030, or go to: http:// www.archives.gov/federallregister/ codeloflfederallregulations/ ibrllocations.html. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Di-rector of the Federal Register in ac-cordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Alternatively the selected sam-ple or oversized specimens thereof may be washed, dry-cleaned, or shampooed 10 times, prior to the cutting of test specimens, in such manner as the man-ufacturer or other interested party has previously established to the satisfac-tion of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is normally used for that type of carpet or rug in service.

(b) On February 10, 1972 (37 FR 3010) the Federal Trade Commission pub-lished in the FEDERAL REGISTER a no-tice of approval of an alternative wash-ing procedure under FF 1–70 for testing the flammability of shearling and hide rugs that (1) consist of natural wool or hair attached to the hide with no syn-thetic fibers and (2) have been treated with a fire-retardant finish. The notice of approval was corrected on March 17, 1972 (37 FR 5676). This approval is con-tinued in effect by the Consumer Prod-uct Safety Commission pursuant to section 30(e) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2079(e)).

(c) Any hide carpet or rug for which such alternative procedure is utilized must be labeled with a conspicuous, legible and permanent label containing the following statement:

DO NOT WASH OR DRY CLEAN

This rug has been treated with a flame re-tardant. To keep rug attractive and clean use the following methods:

To eliminate loose dirt or dust, vacuum or shake pelt outdoors.

For spot cleaning, use water dampened cloth and rub lightly in one direction.

DO NOT USE DETERGENTS OR OTHER

STAIN REMOVERS

(d) The alternative procedure is as follows: The test specimens shall be cut to size 9″ × 9″ before the procedure is initiated.

(1) Shake specimen vigorously to re-move any loose fibers, dust and pos-sible accumulated debris.

(2) Place specimen on a solid flat sur-face and anchor or hold firmly while conducting the test.

(3) Select an operating applicator consisting of a rod at least 2″ in diame-ter and 9″ long composed of nonabsorbant material such as glass or plastic.

(4) Select sufficient cloth to form at least five layers when wrapped around the operating applicator. The cloth shall be of the type known as ‘‘Crockmeter Test Cloth’’ as specified in Note 8.3 of AATCC Test Method 8– 1969.

(5) Immerse cloth in water (100 °F.)

until thoroughly wetted.

(6) Manually wring out the cloth to remove all excess water and wrap around the operating applicator.

(7) Immediately with light pressure, stroke entire surface of specimen with the wrapped operating applicator in one direction only along the natural ‘‘lay’’ of the hair structure for ten complete strokes.

16 CFR Ch. II (1–1–12 Edition) § 1630.62

(8) Place test specimen in a circu-lating drying oven maintained at 212 °F. until dry.

(9) Repeat the above procedure 10 times using a fresh or clean cloth each time.

(10) After 10 successive cycles of washing and drying the dried speci-mens shall be subjected to the testing procedures (pill test) as outlined in FF 1–70.

(e) This washing procedure and label-ing provision are subject to revision or revocation should it be determined that such procedure is inadequate to fully protect the public.

[40 FR 59931, Dec. 30, 1975, as amended at 65 FR 12933, Mar. 10, 2000]

§ 1630.62 Wool flokati carpets and rugs—alternative washing proce-dure.

(a) The Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs (FF 1–70) at § 1630.4(b)(1)(ii) provides that if a carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment, or is made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, the sample or oversized specimens thereof selected for testing under the standard shall be washed prior to the cutting of test specimens either 10 times under the washing and drying procedure prescribed in Method 124–1996 of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists or such number of times under such other washing and drying procedure as shall previously have been found to be equivalent by the Consumer Product Safety Commis-sion. AATCC Test Method 124–1996 ‘‘Appearance of Fabrics after Repeated Home Laundering,’’ is found in Tech-nical Manual of the American Associa-tion of Textile Chemists and Colorists, vol. 73, 1997, which is incorporated by reference. Copies of this document are available from the American Associa-tion of Textile Chemists and Colorists, P.O. Box 12215, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709. This docu-ment is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Ad-ministration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202–741–6030, or go to: http:// www.archives.gov/federallregister/ codeloflfederallregulations/ ibrllocations.html. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Di-rector of the Federal Register in ac-cordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Alternatively the selected sam-ple or oversized specimens thereof may be washed, dry-cleaned, or shampooed 10 times, prior to the cutting of test specimens, in such manner as the man-ufacturer or other interested party has previously established to the satisfac-tion of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is normally used for that type of carpet or rug in service.

(b) On September 7, 1972 (37 FR 18122) the Federal Trade Commission pub-lished in the FEDERAL REGISTER a no-tice of approval of an alternative wash-ing procedure under FF 1–70 for testing the flammability of wool flokati car-pets and rugs. This approval is contin-ued in effect by the Consumer Product Safety Commission pursuant to section 30(e) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2079(e)).

(c) Any wool flokati carpet or rug for which such alternative procedure is utilized must be labeled with a con-spicuous, legible and permanent label containing the following statement:

DO NOT WASH IN HOME MACHINE OR DRY

CLEAN—AVOID RUBBING OR BRUSHING WHILE

DAMP

This flokati carpet or rug has been treated with a flame retardant. To maintain this flame retardant and to keep the carpet at-tractive and clean, use the following meth-ods.

1. Vacuum (using suction head without ro-tating brush) or shake the rug (depending upon size) to remove loose dirt.

2. Home laundering: Place in bath tub or other suitable receptacle in solution of home detergent and lukewarm water (approxi-mately 105 °F.) . Immerse face down and gently knead back of rug to remove soil.

Rinse in lukewarm water (approximately 105 °F.) until detergent is removed. Rug may then be rinsed again in cool water to im-prove appearance of face if desired. Line dry.

Shake while damp to restore surface and fluff up fibers.

3. Spot cleaning: Remove greasy stains with a household grease remover. Remove soluble stains with lukewarm water (ap-proximately 105 °F.) and detergent by im-mersing spot in a pan and kneading the back of rug. Rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water.

Line or floor dry. Shake while damp to re-store surface and fluff up fibers.

Consumer Product Safety Commission § 1630.63

4. Commercial cleaning: Use Roll-A-Jet equipment (or equivalent) with water not ex-ceeding 105 °F. Avoid use of excessive pres-sure or reciprocating brushes. Drying tem-peratures should not exceed 200 °F.

(d) The alternative procedure is as follows:

(1) Cut test specimens to an oversize of 12″×12″ before the procedure is initi-ated.

(2) Vacuum specimens or shake vigor-ously to remove any loose fibers, dust or possible accumulated debris.

(3) Place individual specimen face down in a shallow pan which has been filled to a depth of 2″ with a wash solu-tion of 1.1 grams of AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists) Standard Detergent as speci-fied in AATCC Method 124–1996 (or equivalent) per liter of water preheated to 105 °F. Knead the back of the speci-men with hand for 1 minute. Water level and temperature should be main-tained for each specimen.

(4) Thoroughly rinse specimen face down with warm water at 105 °F. for 1 minute under a faucet with strong pressure.

(5) Remove excess liquor by use of a wringer, hydroextractor or gentle hand squeezing and dry in circulating air oven at 200 °F. until dry.

(6) Repeat the above procedure 10 times using fresh detergent and fresh water for each set of eight specimens.

(7) Subject the dry specimens to the test procedures in FF 1–70.

(e) This washing procedure and label-ing provisions are subject to revocation should it be determined that such pro-cedure is inadequate to fully protect the public.

[40 FR 59931, Dec. 30, 1975, as amended at 65 FR 12933, Mar. 10, 2000]

§ 1630.63 Suspension of washing re-quirements for carpets and rugs with alumina trihydrate in the backing.

(a)(1) The Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs (FF 1–70) at § 1630.4(b)(1)(ii) provides that if a carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment, or is made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, the sample or oversized specimens thereof selected for testing under the standard shall be washed prior to the cutting of test specimens either 10 times under the washing and drying procedure prescribed in Method 124–1996 of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists or such number of times under such other washing and drying procedure as shall previously have been found to be equivalent by the Consumer Product Safety Commis-sion. AATCC Test Method 124–1996 ‘‘Appearance of Fabrics after Repeated Home Laundering,’’ is found in Tech-nical Manual of the American Associa-tion of Textile Chemists and Colorists, vol. 73, 1997, which is incorporated by reference. Copies of this document are available from the American Associa-tion of Textile Chemists and Colorists, P.O. Box 12215, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709. This docu-ment is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Ad-ministration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202–741–6030, or go to: http:// www.archives.gov/federallregister/ codeloflfederallregulations/ ibrllocations.html. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Di-rector of the Federal Register in ac-cordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Alternatively the selected sam-ple or oversized specimens thereof may be washed, dry-cleaned, or shampooed 10 times, prior to the cutting of test specimens, in such manner as the man-ufacturer or other interested party has previously established to the satisfac-tion of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is normally used for that type of carpet or rug in service.

(2) Section 1630.5 of the Standard pro-vides that if a carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment or is made of fibers which have had a fire-retardant treatment, it shall be labeled with the letter ‘‘T.’’

(b) On April 10, 1972, the Federal Trade Commission, which then had re-sponsibility for enforcement of the Flammable Fabrics Act, announced that the use of alumina trihydrate in adhesives, foams, or latexes in carpet backings or elsewhere in the backings will be considered as a fire-retardant treatment. Therefore, the provisions of §§ 1630.4(b)(1)(ii) and 1630.5 of the Stand-ard apply to carpets with alumina tri-hydrate in the backings. This interpre-tation continues in effect.

16 CFR Ch. II (1–1–12 Edition) § 1630.81

(c) On May 19, 1972, the Federal Trade Commission published a notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER (37 FR 10104) tempo-rarily suspending the washing require-ments under FF 1–70 for carpets and rugs containing alumina trihydrate in the backing. This temporary suspen-sion was extended a number of times.

On March 28, 1973 the Federal Trade Commission proposed in the FEDERAL REGISTER (38 FR 8101) an alternative laundering procedure for such carpets and rugs and gave notice that the sus-pension of the laundering requirement was extended until the completion of the proceeding to establish an alter-native laundering procedure. The sus-pension continues in effect.

[40 FR 59931, Dec. 30, 1975, as amended at 65 FR 12933, Mar. 10, 2000]

Subpart D—Interpretations and Policies

§ 1630.81 Policy on recall of noncom-plying carpets and rugs.

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this sec-tion is to state the policy of the Com-mission concerning recall of carpets and rugs which are subject to and fail to comply with the Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs (FF 1–70) (16 CFR part 1630, sub-part A). In this policy statement, the Commission reaffirms that provisions of the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) authorize recall of any product which fails to comply with an applicable flammability standard issued under that Act. Additionally, this policy statement announces general prin-ciples which will be followed by the Commission in exercising the author-ity contained in the FFA to require re-call of carpets and rugs from various levels of distribution, including carpets and rugs in the possession of the ulti-mate consumer.

(b) Recall from distributors and retail-ers. The Commission will exercise the authority contained in the FFA to order recall of carpets and rugs which fail to comply with the Standard for the Surface Flammability for Carpets and Rugs and which are in the posses-sion of any distributor, retailer, or other person or firm in the chain of dis-tribution, where the facts, including the number and pattern of test fail-ures, indicate that such action is nec-essary and appropriate.

(c) Recall from consumers. (1) In cases involving carpets and rugs distributed in commerce by a domestic manufac-turer, or imported into the United States, after July 11, 1978, the Commis-sion will exercise the authority con-tained in the FFA to order recall of carpets and rugs which fail to comply with the Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs and which are in the possession of ultimate purchasers, including installed carpet, where the facts, including the number and pattern of test failures, indicate that such action is necessary and ap-propriate.

(2) The Commission may exercise the authority of section 15 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2064) to order the repair, replacement, or repur-chase of any carpets or rugs in the pos-session of ultimate purchasers, includ-ing installed carpet, if such carpets and rugs present a ‘‘substantial product hazard’’ as that term is used in the Consumer Product Safety Act in any case involving carpets or rugs which were distributed in commerce by a do-mestic manufacturer or imported into the United States, on or before July 11, 1978, or any time thereafter.

(Sec. 5, 15 U.S.C. 1194, 67 Stat. 112, June 30, 1953; sec. 5, 15 U.S.C. 45(b), 38 Stat. 719, Sept.

26, 1914; sec. 15, 15 U.S.C. 2064, 86 Stat. 1221, Oct. 27, 1972)

[44 FR 2169, Jan. 10, 1979]

PART 1631—STANDARD FOR THE

SURFACE FLAMMABILITY OF

SMALL CARPETS AND RUGS (FF

2–70)

Subpart A—The Standard

Sec.

1631.1 Definitions.

1631.2 Scope and application.

1631.3 General requirements.

1631.4 Test procedure.

1631.5 Labeling requirements.

Subpart B—Rules and Regulations

1631.31 Reasonable and representative tests

and recordkeeping requirements.

1631.32 Reasonable and representative tests

and recordkeeping requirements—addi-tional requirements.