. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/USA/54
27 October 2003
(03-5693)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Consumer Product Safety Commission (53)
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Upholstered furniture
(HS Chapter 9401) (ICS 97.140)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Ignition of
Upholstered Furniture by Small Open Flames  and/or Smoldering Cigarettes;  Advance
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking; Request for Comments and Information (4 pages,
in English)
6. Description of content:   The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or
Commission) has found, based on available information, that a new flammability standardor other regulation may be needed for upholstered furniture products and for fabrics and
related materials used in, or intended for use in, upholstered furniture, to protect the public
against unreasonable risk of fire leading to death, personal injury, or significant property
damage.  The risk of fire addressed in today's advance notice of proposed rulemaking
(ANPR) is from ignition of upholstered furn iture by small open flames and/or smoldering
cigarettes.  This proceeding is being conducted under authority of the Flammable Fabrics
Act (FFA).  In 1994, the Commission commenced a regulatory proceeding under the FFAaddressing the risk of fire from ignition of upholstered furniture by small open flame
sources such as matches, cigarette lighters, and candles.  59 FR 30735 (1994).  This ANPR
reflects the Commission's decision to expand that proceeding to explicitly address cigarette
ignitions as well.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Protection of human life and health.           
8. Relevant documents:   68 Federal Register (FR) 60629 23 October 2003;  Title 16 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) Chapter II, Subchapter D.  Will appear in the Federal Register
when adopted.G/TBT/N/USA/54
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }To be determined
10. Final date for comments:   22 December 2003
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:  Available on
the Internet at URL:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/ 14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-
26809.htm
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/ 14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/pdf/
03-26809.pdf