[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]



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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION


Proposed Collection of Information; Comment Request--Safety 
Standard for Cigarette Lighters

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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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