GANA to Explain New CPSC Certification Rules in January Webinar
January 5, 2010

The Glass Association of North America (GANA) will host a January webinar to explain new certification and labeling requirements imposed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). On February 9, 2009, the CPSC postponed the date for compliance with its new certification rules, applicable to architectural glazing materials installed in hazardous locations, until February 10, 2010. Those rules require, for the first time, manufacturer certifications of compliance with CPSC 16 CFR 1201, the federal safety standard for architectural glazing materials, to include the business address and telephone number of the safety glazing materials fabricator and the identity of and contact information for those responsible for maintaining testing records. On December 17, 2009, the CPSC expressly declined to extend this compliance date for architectural glazing materials beyond February 10, 2010.

To assist its members, particularly temperers and laminators, GANA will host a free one-hour webinar on January 28, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. EST. The webinar will explore and explain the certification and labeling regulations of the CPSC, old and new. During the webinar, GANA general counsel, Kim Mann, will provide an overview of the existing certification requirements and lead a discussion of the new requirements, including the use of electronic means (i.e. Internet website postings) to certify compliance. John Kent, administrative manager of the Safety Glazing Certification Council (SGCC), will follow up with a discussion and illustration of one technique and method, incorporating the new permissible electronic certification format that SGCC members will begin using February 11, 2010, to comply with the new CPSC certification rules.

"It may be easy for glass fabricators to forget about or overlook the CPSC and its testing and certification-of-compliance requirements. Don't!" says Mann. "On February 11, 2010, new, expanded CPSC certification requirements, applicable to glass and glazing materials going into doors and shower/tub enclosures and part of 16 CFR 1201, will take effect. The new required information the CPSC adds to its existing certification language won't fit on most laminators' and temperers' logos."

Mann will wind up the webinar with insights into a new rulemaking proceeding, which CPSC announced it will initiate later in 2010 to define and prescribe the parameters of a "reasonable testing program." (Certificates of compliance must be issued on the basis of a "reasonable testing program," an as-yet undefined concept.) This rulemaking proceeding could result in new regulations mandating safety-glass fabricators to undertake expensive, burdensome testing as part of their reasonable testing programs in order to comply with the certification requirements of 16 CFR 1201.

"Sign up for GANA's January 28 webinar," urges Mann. "Learn about the new certification requirements. Learn about a novel hybrid electronic/paper certificate of compliance that SGCC has come up with to satisfy the new CPSC requirements. Learn about a possible new and potentially very burdensome wrinkle CPSC may incorporate into its definition of a 'reasonable testing program' that all safety-glazing manufacturers and fabricators must conduct before issuing certificates of compliance."

CLICK HERE to register for the free webinar.

The webinar will also be recorded and offered for purchase as a download to the glass and glazing industry the following week.

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