CPSC Laboratory Testing
Transcript
TEXT: Clothing Flammability:
All clothing - shirts, pants, sweaters, skirts, and robes - must meet a basic flammability standard. While most garments pass this test, some sheer rayon or high-pile cotton may not pass. This test uses a strip of fabric cut out from a garment mounted on a 45-degree angle. The fabric test specimen is exposed to a small flame for 1 second. If fabric ignites and burns too fast, it fails the test. If the fabric fails the general wearing apparel test, the garment can be recalled.
(View of woman with sample of fabric. View of woman in lab running a flammability test on a sample of fabric - fabric ignites and burns quickly. Woman checks stop watch after fabric sample is done burning. Replay of test. View of test from above the fabric sample. Close up of stop watch during test).
TEXT: Children's Sleepwear:
Children's clothing intended for sleeping must either meet the mandatory sleepwear flammability standard or be tight-fitting to reduce the risk. The flammability performance test consists of cutting a strip of fabric from a garment, mounting the fabric on a metal frame, suspending the frame inside a special cabinet, and exposing the fabric to a small flame for 3 seconds. If the specimen burns more than 7 inches, the garment fails the test.
(View of woman holding article of children's sleepwear with a tag that reads "Loose fitting non-FR sleepwear." View of woman setting up cabinet for flammability test. Various views of flammability test and replays. View of stop watch running for three seconds. View of tag on children's sleepwear garment that reads "Loose fitting FR treated cotton." View of woman holding garment. Various views of the same flammability test being done on the loose fitting garment. The garment burns much more slowly than the first garment that was tested).
TEXT: Toys:
Young children can choke on small parts that come off a toy during normal play or during reasonably foreseeable use, damage, or abuse. Impact, tension, flexure, compression, and torque tests are applied to toys to determine if young children can be injured by small parts, sharp points, or sharp edges. Toys - including imported toys - must meet CPSC safety standards.
(Various views of man holding children's toy and dropping it, view of toys falling across the floor. Toys held in front of sign reading "Impact test 2 feet 11 1/2 inches." View of small parts being collected from toy and placed in a small canister. View of man pulling the nose of a stuffed animal with a device that measures the pressure being applied).
TEXT: Baby Walkers:
Since 1997, an industry standard for baby walkers has included performance requirements that prevent walkers from falling down stairs. The complying baby walkers have "gripper strips" on the bottom to stop the walker at the edge of the stairs. Older baby walkers that do not meet the new standard were associated with serious injuries to children when the walkers fell down stairs. The newer baby walkers have helped achieve dramatic reductions in injuries.
(Various views of man with older baby walker being forced to the end of a table. It crashes to the ground. Various views of man with newer baby walker with "gripper strips" being forced to the end of a table. The baby walker does not fall. View of man pointing to "gripper strips" on newer walker).
TEXT: Bike Helmets:
Bicycle helmets must meet the CPSC standard for impact resistance, chin strap strength, and roll-off prevention. Helmets, fitted on weighted headforms, are dropped onto a steel surface representing the shape of a curb or street. The test measures the amount of energy the helmet absorbs when it is dropped. If the helmet does not absorb enough of the force of impact, it fails the test.
(Man placing helmet on weighted headform. Various views of the helmeted headform being dropped onto a steel surface. View of computer diagrams of absorption of force of impact. View of minor damage to helmet. View of test being done to another helmet. View of more severe damage that was done to the second helmet).
TEXT: Upholstered Furniture:
CPSC is considering a possible flammability standard for upholstered furniture to help prevent ignition by small open flame sources like lighters, matches, and candles. The staff conducts testing and other research in support of this effort.
(view of small open flame being held to an upholstered chair. View of man taking notes about the flame as it begins to consume the chair. View of small open flame being held underneath an upholstered chair. Flame slowly grows underneath the furniture. View of man extinguishing the flame).
TEXT: Mattresses:
CPSC is considering a possible flammability standard for mattresses and bedding to address small open flame ignitions. Typically, a candle, lighter, or match ignites the bedclothes which in turn ignite the mattress. The staff conducts testing and other research in support of this effort.
(View of flame spreading over mattress. View of damaged mattress after fire. View of mattress completely consumed in flame).
TEXT: Cigarette Lighters:
CPSC set a standard requiring that disposable and novelty lighters be child-resistant. Multipurpose lighters also must be child-resistant. Commission staffers use a test apparatus to verify the force required to operate each lighter. This test can be used in investigations of problem lighters.
(View of various cigarette lighters next to testing apparatus. Various views of man putting lighter into machine in order to test the force required to operate the lighter, then he moves over to view the computer screen next to him as the test is administered).
TEXT: Aerosol Party String:
Children's products should not have hazardous ingredients to which children are exposed. In the past, some aerosol party string used a flammable propellant. This created a fire hazard if the aerosol can was sprayed near lit candles. Testing at the CPSC lab demonstrated the fire hazard of some aerosol party string, and those types were recalled. Aerosol party string products on the market today are safer.
(Various views of aerosol party string being sprayed through a lit candle. Large flames are created and spread through the length of the spray. The same test is done on birthday candles that are lit on a cake.).
(View of the sign for the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission: Laboratory Sciences: 10901 Darnestown Road).
TEXT: For more information, people can call CPSC's toll-free hotline (800) 638-2772 or visit the CPSC web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.
End.