
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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