[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14557-14558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7987]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Proposed Collection of Information; Comment Request--Safety
Standard for Cigarette Lighters
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission requests comments
on a proposed request for an extension of approval of a collection of
information from manufacturers and importers of disposable and novelty
cigarette lighters. This collection of information consists of testing
and recordkeeping requirements in certification regulations
implementing the Safety Standard for Cigarette Lighters (16 CFR Part
1210). The Commission will consider all comments received in response
to this notice before requesting an extension of approval of this
collection of information from the Office of Management and Budget.
DATES: Written comments must be received by the Office of the Secretary
not later than June 3, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be captioned ``Cigarette Lighters''
and mailed to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety
Commission, Washington, DC 20207, or delivered to that office, room
502, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the proposed
extension of the collection of information, or to obtain a copy of 16
CFR Part 1210 without charge, call or write Nicholas V. Marchica,
Director, Office of Planning and Evaluation, Consumer Product Safety
Commission,
[[Page 14558]]
Washington, DC 20207; telephone (301) 504-0416, extension 2243.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1993, the Commission issued the Safety
Standard for Cigarette Lighters (16 CFR Part 1210) under provisions of
the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) (15 U.S.C. 2051 et seq.) to
eliminate or reduce risks of death and burn injury from fires
accidentally started by children playing with cigarette lighters. The
standard contains performance requirements for disposable and novelty
lighters which are intended to make cigarette lighters subject to the
standard resist operation by children younger than five years of age.
A. Certification Requirements
Section 14(a) of the CPSA (15 U.S.C. 2063(a)) requires
manufacturers, importers, and private labelers of a consumer product
subject to a consumer product safety standard to issue a certificate
stating that the product complies with all applicable consumer product
safety standards. Section 14(a) of the CPSA also requires that the
certificate of compliance must be based on a test of each product or
upon a reasonable testing program.
Section 14(b) of the CPSA authorizes the Commission to issue
regulations to prescribe a reasonable testing program to support
certificates of compliance with a consumer product safety standard.
Section 16(b) of the CPSA (15 U.S.C. 2065(b)) authorizes the Commission
to issue rules to require that firms ``establish and maintain'' records
to permit the Commission to determine compliance with rules issued
under the authority of the CPSA.
The Commission has issued regulations prescribing requirements for
a reasonable testing program to support certificates of compliance with
the standard for cigarette lighters. These regulations require
manufacturers and importers to submit a description of each model of
lighter, results of prototype qualification tests for compliance with
the standard, and other information before the introduction of each
model of lighter in commerce. These regulations also require
manufacturers, importers, and private labelers of disposable and
novelty lighters to establish and maintain records to demonstrate
successful completion of all required tests to support the certificates
of compliance which they issue. 16 CFR Part 1210, Subpart B.
The Commission uses the information compiled and maintained by
manufacturers, importers, and private labelers of disposable and
novelty lighters to protect consumers from risks of accidental deaths
and burn injuries associated with those lighters. More specifically,
the Commission uses this information to determine whether lighters
comply with the standard by resisting operation by young children. The
Commission also uses this information to obtain corrective actions if
disposable or novelty lighters fail to comply with the standard in a
manner which creates a substantial risk of injury to the public.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the collection
of information in the certification regulations for cigarette lighters
under control number 3041-0116. OMB's most recent extension of approval
will expire on March 31, 1996. The Commission proposes to request an
extension of approval without change for these collection of
information requirements.
B. Estimated Burden
The Commission staff estimates that about 45 firms are subject to
the testing and recordkeeping requirements of the certification
regulations. The Commission staff estimates further that the annual
testing and recordkeeping burden imposed by the regulations on each of
these firms on average is approximately 175 hours. Thus, the total
annual burden imposed by the certification regulations on all
manufacturers, importers and private labelers of disposable and novelty
cigarette lighters is about 7,875 hours.
The Commission staff estimates that the average hourly cost to
reporting firms for the time required to perform the required testing
and to maintain the required records is about $50, and that the annual
total cost to the industry is approximately $394,000.
During a typical year, the Commission expends approximately two
months of professional staff time reviewing records required to be
maintained by the certification regulations for disposable and novelty
cigarette lighters. The annual cost to the Federal government of the
collection of information in these regulations is estimated to be
$12,100.
It should be noted that the performance standard for disposable and
novelty cigarette lighters is expected to have net benefits of $400
million annually, and to prevent 80 to 105 fire deaths each year.
C. Request for Comments
The Commission solicits written comments from all interested
persons about the proposed extension of approval of the collection of
information in the certification and recordkeeping regulations for
cigarette lighters. The Commission specifically solicits information
about the hourly burden and monetary costs imposed by the collection of
information on firms subject to this collection of information. The
Commission also seeks information relevant to the following topics:
Whether the collection of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the Commission's functions;
Whether the information will have practical utility for
the Commission;
Whether the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected could be enhanced; and
Whether the burden imposed by the collection of
information could be minimized by use of automated, electronic or other
technological collection techniques, or other form of information
technology.
Dated: March 28, 1996.
Sadye E. Dunn,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 96-7987 Filed 4-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P
