EVERYTHING you need to know about the CPSIA

[#1]

Lots of folks are just discovering how the CPSIA affects them. This post is intended to help you find the info you need all in one place.

If you make any product intended for children ages 12 and under, you need to read this thread. In it you will find important links to give you information straight from the source, the CPSC.

First of all, you can go to the CPSC website and add yourself to their email list so that you will get all the updated information directly to your email. This is very helpful, as the CPSC issues new statements and guidelines quite often. You won't have to search for the answers because they come directly to your email!

Here's the CPSC website link to the info on the CPSIA
On the top left corner is a link to subscribe their email list.

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Here's 3 links that should give you all the info current info you need.

CPSIA guidance for small businesses/crafters
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/smbus/cpsiasbguide.pdf

Tracking labels
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/sect103policy.pdf

FAQ
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/sect103.html#103q8


Please read these links before posting questions.
Be informed and happy crafting!

If you have other important links please feel free to add them :)

[amberchelle]

marking--so much to know

[Former_Member]

marking

[Former_Member]

marking--- and by the way I have one of your carriers My Blessed Baby. I love it and so does my son!!

[Former_Member]

marking

[Former_Member]

marking

[Former_Member]

as this is 61 pages long, I though I'd ask a question that's probably been asked before but never mind - does the CPSIA only cover USA - or is it worldwide?

Only ask because I've only seen it mentioned here and not anywhere where I promote and work (England).

Thanks in advance

[Former_Member]

jewelleryparties,
The CPSIA applies to items produced or being shipped to the USA. That pretty much the same worldwide if a country passes a law it applies within that country only and to products being exported there. As far as I know the UK has it's own set of laws concerning children's items, best to check with your council's standards and practices office to see what, if any, testing needs to be done for your products.

[ChavahsGarden]

Many thanks for this!

[Former_Member]

jewelrydesignsbyME - thank you very much, I know my products conform over here but will have to check on all this as I have just sent one item to USA, Eek!

[Former_Member]

Oh thank you, thank you!

[Former_Member]

marking

[Former_Member]

Sorry about that post:
How do I mark fabric that I've stocked for 3 or more years? 100% cotton won't be a problem but how the heck will I determine the blend %'s? Also, it's July 2010 - are we allowed to use materials that are certified by the mfg as meeting the requirements, i.e. snaps or hook and eyes? I have a feeling my treasure trove of fabric is worthless if I make 12 or under items. I'm all for safety but these regs are making it difficult and costly to dress children under 12. The small cottage shop won't be offering quality handmade products anymore. It seems only the big retailers will be able to afford to meets the demand of the new laws. JMO. Thanks Sue

[Former_Member]

Thank you

[KittyCatsCupboard]

Marking and thanks for giving us this info. :)

[Former_Member]

Thank goodness I have found this posting!!
Thanks to the originator and contributors :)

[Former_Member]

Does this apply to Canada or just US?

I have been searching for info on Canadian labeling regulations but I can't find much, can anyone point me in the right direction?? :)

[Former_Member]

Hello, does anyone have new CPSIA questions?

[Former_Member]

Can someone help me, if I make children hairbows and have some flowers from Michaels, rhinestones/pearls and clips. By Feb 2010, do I have to test the flowers, rhinestones/pearls and clips too (component testing)? Or I have to test all the finish products?

Lets say I make a flower headband. I attach 3 flowers with rhinestones on them, add glue and attach it to an elastic headband and cover with felt.

By Feb 2010, which one do I need to test? What if I make like 5 different colors? Do I have to test every color?

How much does it cost to test them? and where? How do I label my hairbows? On my bow cards? Sorry, it's a very long post.

[Former_Member]

lilladybows,
You need to know the lead content and have paperwork to back it up as of Feb 2009 for all non-exempt portions of your finished item. If you use different colors of the same component yes you still need to know what the lead content is for each color variation of that product. So for right now if you can get test results from the manufacturer of all your non-exempt supplies those results can come for any scientific lab or in-house testing procedure that has reasonable expectations of achieving results accurately you can use that instead of having to pay a lab to test your finished pieces. As to the cost sometimes the manufacturer will charge a postage fee if you are not currently placing an order that they can send the paperwork with, others will e-mail the results at no charge. Remember not all supply manufacturers are willing or able to give out copies of their test results or GCCs simply because they consider their supply, the way it is currently sold, as a general use item not specificaly a child's product.

Come Feb 10 th 2011 the test paperwork will have to be issued by a CPSC pre-approved lab using the more applicable of the 2 CPSC allowed testing methods. Again if you can get the information in the proper format from the manufacturers of your supplies you can still use that as long as they followed the CPSC requirements. If unable to get the info from the component manufacturer you can choose to have either the individual components tested or the final product tested. The testing prices will depend on what lab is used so get some quotes. Before component testing was approved the quotes that I received ranged from $45/component (from a lab in China) to $75/component (from a lab closest to where I live) in the final product. The testing is destructive so don't expect any samples you send to come back to you. Several of the labs that I contacted said they need 2-5 nearly identical finished items to test all made from the same batch or lot of components and the testing would only be good for other similar products made of the same batch and lot of components of the samples I sent in.
When the component testing was announced I called a couple of labs and they said as long as the supply I was going to have tested was made of 1 raw material they would need at upto 100 grams of the supply to test and the test result for that particular supply would be good for all the final products that I use it on. The pricing remained the same. There is more paperwork involved in this method but it allows the freedom to do OOAK and custom orders because you do not have to make up samples of the fisihed product to just be detroyed by testing. Plus you know before you even start an item if all the supplies would pass testing as the finished product. The government is basing the lead limits on percent by weight so as long as all the components pass there's no way the finished product could have more percentage by weight of lead than the component with the highest percentage that passed testing. Here's the CPSC site listing the accredited labs http://www.cpsc.gov/cgi-bin/labsearch/

Labeling for tracking purposes came into effect on Aug 14th 2009 for both the product and the packaging. You will need to have proof for the government, if there is ever questions, that your hairbows are too small for the label to be permanantly attached. Once you come up with a logical reason as to why then you can just put all the tracking information on the packaging, ie. the bow card.

[Former_Member]

thank you so much! i just opened al children's toys line of my store and really wanted to cover all my bases (legal, non-toxic materials, etc). this was very helpful!

xox

[Former_Member]

marking

[Former_Member]

Thank you....great resource

[Former_Member]

Marking! Thanks for the great info.

[victoriaelizabethqoc]

Thank you!

[Former_Member]

marking happily!!