Conformity Magazine - February 2009 - (Page 54)

NewsBreaks CPSC Clarifies Certification Requirements The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has clarified its product conformity certification requirements as modified by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). In a Final Rule published in November in the Federal Register, the agency has limited the parties who must certify to either the U.S. manufacturer (in the case of products manufactured in the U.S.) or the U.S.-based importer (in the case of products produced outside of the U.S.). Foreign manufacturers and private labelers of imported products do not need to issue certificates, and do not need to be listed as parties on certificates, according to the CPSC. Further, the CPSC has affirmed that electronic certificates can be used to meet the new certification requirements, as long as the certificates can be “produced immediately for inspection.” Finally, the CPSC Final Report has clarified that its initial enforcement efforts under the new certification requirements will focus on a product’s compliance with applicable safety requirements rather than on the certificate or form of the certificate itself. Our readers can view the complete text of the CPSC’s Final Rule on its certification requirements at www.conformity.com/2620. Bicycle Light Batteries: Di Notte Lighting of Hampton, NH has recalled about 1700 of its lithium-ion batteries manufactured in the U.S. and China and used with bicycle lights. Di Notte reports that a loose wiring connection and improper venting can cause the battery to overheat, posing a burn hazard to consumers. The company has not received any reports of incidents or injuries related to the batteries, but has initiated the recall to prevent possible future incidents. The recalled batteries were sold through bicycle and recreation stores nationwide and by Internet retailers from February 2006 through March 2007 for between $200 and $400. Power Adaptors: Finally, DYMO of Stamford, CT is recalling about 17,000 of it DYMO LabelWriter power adaptors used with printers and manufactured in China. The company says that the power adaptors can fail, causing the printer to overheat, and posing a burn hazard to consumers. DYMO has received 11 reports of printers overheating and emitting smoke, but has not received any reports of injuries. The recalled power adaptors were sold through office supply stores, discount retailers, and various specialty retailers nationwide from September 2007 through October 2008 for between $100 and $250. Our readers can learn more about these and other product recalls through the CPSC web site at www.cpsc.gov. Other CPSC Actions in the News In conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the following manufacturers, distributors and retailers have issued voluntary recalls for certain consumer electrical and electronic products. Here are the details: Wall Ovens: General Electric Consumer & Industrial of Louisville, KY is recalling about 244,000 of its GE, GE Profile, Monogram and Kenmore-brand wall ovens. GE says that the extreme heat used in the selfcleaning cycle can escape when the wall over door is removed and incorrectly reinstalled, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. The company is aware of 28 incidents of minor property damage to adjacent kitchen cabinets, but has not received any reports of injuries. The recalled ovens were sold through home builders and appliance stores nationwide from October 2002 through December 2004 for between $900 and $3600. Children’s Two-Way Radios: Cobra Electronics of Chicago, IL, has recalled about 8000 children’s two-way radios manufactured in China. The company says that the rechargeable batteries in the radios can leak electrolyte, posing a chemical burn hazard to consumers. Cobra has not received any reports of incidents or injuries related to the twoway radio batteries, but has initiated the recall to prevent possible future incidents. The recalled radios were sold at Toys “R” Us stores nationwide from August through September 2008 for about $30. IEC Standards Update The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has announced the availability of the following new standards and documents (additional information is available at www.iec.ch, or the IEC’s U.S. representative, ANSI, at www.ansi.org): Electrical Engineering • IEC 60034-30 Ed. 1.0 (2008-10) Rotating electrical machines - Part 30: Efficiency classes of singlespeed, three-phase, cage-induction motors (IE-code) 5 Conformity february 2009 http://www.conformity.com/2620 http://www.cpsc.gov http://www.ieee-pses.org http://www.iec.ch http://www.ansi.org http://www.nepss.org

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Conformity Magazine - February 2009 Contents Editor's Note FCC Clarifies Closed Captioning Requirements for DTV Receivers Commission Cracks Down (For the Fifth Time!) On Junk Fax Marketer FDA Requests Comments on Global Harmonization Documents Australia Now Requires Solar Panel Testing and Certification EU Drafting New Directive on Toy Safety EU Commission Revises Standards List for EMC, R&TTE Directives Additional Standards Published For the EU's Medical Devices Directive EU Commission Publishes Additional Standards for Directives on Active Implantable, In Vitro Medical Devices EMC For the Functional Safety of Automobiles ESD Open Forum The ILAC Arrangement: Facilitating Trade Efficient Methodology for the EMI Analysis of Optical Transceivers Including PCBs and/or Flex Circuits The EuP Directive - Implementation, Design Requirements and Issues Chambers, Shielding, and Accessories Buyer's Guide CPSIA Lead Requirements Apply to Existing Inventory, Says CPSC CPSC Clarifies Certifcation Requirements Other CPSC Actions in the News IEC Standards Update Product Reviews UL standards Update Telcordia Standards Update From Our "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - February 2009

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