[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 7, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41043-41046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20150]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 1507


Proposed Rule: Fireworks Devices; Fuse Burn Time

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Commission proposes to amend its regulation under the 
Federal Hazardous Substances Act that applies to the fuse burn times of 
fireworks devices. The proposal would change the allowable fuse burn 
times from the presently required range of 3 to 6 seconds to the range 
of 3 to 9 seconds. Increasing the range will allow manufacturers to 
more consistently produce fireworks that do not fall below a 3-second 
burn time, thus reducing hazardous short burn times. Further, the 
increase in fuse burn time to 9 seconds will not create any additional 
risk of injury to consumers. Therefore, the amendment should increase 
the safety of users of fireworks. The amendment was requested in a 
petition from the American Fireworks Standards Laboratory.

DATES: Comments on the proposal should be submitted no later than 
October 21, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments to the Commission on the proposed rule should be 
mailed to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, Washington, DC 20207, or delivered to the Office of the 
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, room 502, 4330 East-West 
Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4408, telephone (301) 504-0800. 
Comments also may be filed with the Commission by facsimile to (301) 
504-0127, or by electronic mail via [email protected]. Comments should 
include a caption or cover indicating that they are directed to the 
Office of the Secretary and are comments on the proposed revisions to 
the fuse burn time of fireworks.
    Comments on potential changes to the Commission staff's current 
enforcement policy for fuse burn times, and on possible interim 
forbearance of enforcement against fuse burn times of up to 9 seconds, 
should be mailed to David Schmeltzer, Assistant Executive Director for 
Compliance, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Meiers, Directorate for 
Engineering Sciences, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, 
DC 20207; telephone (301) 504-0468 ext. 1281; or e-mail to cpsc/
g=Carolyn/i=K./s=Meiers/[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction and Background

    Introduction. In this notice, the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission (``the Commission'' or ``CPSC'') proposes to amend its 
regulation under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (``FHSA'') that 
governs the allowable range of times that fuses for fireworks may burn 
before the device ignites. 16 CFR 1507.3(a)(2). The Commission seeks 
comments from interested members of the public on the proposed 
amendment. The Commission also invites comments from counterpart 
agencies in foreign governments, foreign standards developers, and 
others who might be interested in this proposed amendment. This 
invitation is in addition to the routine international notification of 
this proposed rule that is provided by the World Trade Organization 
Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.
    Background. Commission regulations under the FHSA require fireworks 
devices (other than firecrackers) 1 to have a fuse which will burn 
at least 3 seconds but not more than 6 seconds before the device 
ignites. 16 CFR 1507.3(a)(2).2 In 1991, the American Pyrotechnics 
Association (``APA''), a trade association representing the fireworks 
industry, submitted a petition to the Commission to modify the fuse 
burn time regulation. APA requested that the upper limit of the 
allowable fuse burn time be raised to 9 seconds.
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    \1\ 16 CFR 1507.1.
    \2\ As a matter of enforcement policy, the Commission's staff 
has not brought legal actions against fuse burn time violations as 
low as 2 seconds and as high as 8 seconds for all fireworks except 
reloadable shell devices, bottle rockets, and jumping jacks which 
exhibit erratic flight.
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    The 1991 petition was denied because at that time there were 
insufficient human factors data to demonstrate that a person would not 
return to a fireworks device within the requested 9-second allowable 
fuse burn time. The Commission was concerned that a longer fuse burn 
time might result in an increase of injuries to consumers who returned 
to live fireworks assuming they were ``duds.''
    After the APA's petition was denied, the American Fireworks 
Standards Laboratory (``AFSL''), an industry-supported fireworks 
standards and certification organization, contracted with the American 
Institutes of Research (``AIR'') to conduct human factors research of 
fireworks-related behavior. The objective of the study was to determine 
if consumers would return to a fireworks device within 9 seconds after 
lighting the fuse.
    In September 1995, the CPSC was petitioned by AFSL (Petition HP 96-
1) to make the same modification to the regulation under the FHSA that 
governs fireworks fuse burn time as did the previous petition from 
APA--that the upper limit of the allowable range of fuse burn times be 
changed from 6 to 9 seconds.
    Manufacturers currently target a 4.5 second average fuse burn time, 
which is the midpoint of the currently allowed 3 to 6 seconds range. By 
raising the upper limit of the fuse burn time from 6 to 9 seconds, AFSL 
contends that manufacturers could target a more ideal average fuse burn 
time of 6 seconds. AFSL claims this would enhance consumer safety by 
eliminating incidents of fuses burning less than 3 seconds.
    AFSL states that increasing the upper range of the fuse burn time 
to 9 seconds also will increase compliance with the 3 second 
requirement because: (1) It will improve fuse design and quality, (2) 
it will make fuse burn time performance more consistent, and (3) it 
will allow for the variability in fuse burn time caused by 
environmental conditions. Any such improvement in compliance with the 
3-second fuse burn time requirement would likely increase safety.
    After considering the available information, the Commission voted 
to grant Petition HP 96-1. The available information and the reasons 
for the Commission's decision are explained below.

II. Statutory Procedure

    This proceeding is conducted under the FHSA. 15 U.S.C. 1261-1278. 
Fireworks are ``hazardous substances'' within the meaning of section 
2(f)(1)(A) of the FHSA because they are flammable or combustible 
substances, or generate pressure through decomposition, heat, or other 
means, and ``may cause substantial personal injury or substantial 
illness during or as a proximate result of any customary or reasonably 
foreseeable handling or use * * *.'' 15 U.S.C. 1261(f)(1)(A).
    Under section 2(q)(1)(B) of the FHSA, the Commission may classify 
as a ``banned hazardous substance'' any

[[Page 41044]]

hazardous substance intended for household use which, notwithstanding 
the precautionary labeling that is or may be required by the FHSA, 
presents such a hazard that keeping the substance out of interstate 
commerce is the only adequate way to protect the public health and 
safety. Id. at 1261(q)(1)(B). The current fuse burn time requirement 
was issued under that section.
    A proceeding to amend a rule issued under section 2(q)(1)(B) of the 
FHSA is subject to the provisions of section 701(e) of the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (``section 701(e)''), 21 U.S.C. 371(e). 15 
U.S.C. 1261(2)(q)(2). Under section 701(e), if the petition of an 
interested person shows ``reasonable grounds'' for the action 
requested, the Commission is required to begin a rulemaking. The 
fireworks types that would be subject to the proposed amendment, and 
that have fuse burn times outside the proposed 3 to 9 second range, are 
already banned hazardous substances. Because the amendment proposed 
below will not declare any additional products to be banned hazardous 
substances, an advance notice of proposed rulemaking is not required 
for this proceeding. See FHSA Sec. 3(f), 15 U.S.C. 1262(f). For the 
same reason, the procedures required by sections 3(g)-(i) of the FHSA 
do not apply to this proceeding.
    Under section 701(e) of the FDCA, once the Commission issues a 
final rule in this type of proceeding, persons who would be adversely 
affected by the rule may file objections with the Commission, stating 
the grounds therefor, and request a public hearing on those objections. 
21 U.S.C. 371(e). If material objections were filed, an adjudicatory 
hearing to receive evidence concerning the objections would be held 
before an administrative law judge (``ALJ''). After the ALJ's decision, 
further appeals could be made to the Commission and ultimately to the 
courts. 21 U.S.C. 371(e)-(f).

III. Injury Data

    The CPSC conducted a special study of firework injuries from June 
23 through July 23, 1995. The Special Study focused on this time period 
because of the highly seasonal nature of fireworks injuries. The injury 
cases in the special study were identified through the National 
Electronic Injury Surveillance System (``NEISS''), CPSC's database of 
cases from a sample of hospital emergency rooms.
    Only six sample cases potentially relevant to fuse burn times were 
identified. The reports of these injuries do not provide quantitative 
measures of fuse burn times. Characterizations of whether the time 
interval before a device ignites is long or short depend upon the 
victims' or onlookers' subjective perceptions. It could not be 
determined how the respondents' perceptions related to the CPSC's fuse 
burn time standard.
    Because of the small number of sample cases and the subjectiveness 
of the respondents' perceptions of time, a national estimate of the 
injuries associated with long or short fuse burn times cannot be 
projected.

IV. Safety Effects of Raising the Upper Burn Time Limit to 9 
Seconds

    As described in greater detail below, the number of occurrences of 
short fuse burn times--those below 3 seconds--would likely decline 
appreciably if the proposed fuse burn time range of 3 to 9 seconds is 
adopted. This clearly would have a positive effect on the safety of the 
users of the fireworks subject to the fuse burn time regulation.
    In the past, the Commission had been concerned that a 9-second fuse 
burn time could cause consumers to mistakenly believe that a fireworks 
device was a dud. More specifically, the concern was that a longer fuse 
burn time could increase the risk of injury if consumers returned to 
the firework before it ignited. To address this concern, AFSL 
contracted with AIR to conduct a human factors study to determine how 
long fireworks users take to begin to return to a firework that has not 
gone off.
    This AIR study appears to present the only data currently available 
that relate user approach behavior to the fuse burn time of firework 
devices. The study found that only one of the 30 participants began to 
approach the device within 9 seconds. The remainder of the participants 
began to approach the devices from 9 seconds to 5 minutes after 
igniting the fuse. The median approach time for participants in the 
last of four trials was 19 seconds. The study concluded that an 
estimated 95% of the participants would not begin to approach the 
unexploded firework until after 9 seconds.
    In the AFSL study, no participant actually reached the location of 
the firework device within 9 seconds. The only participant who began to 
approach the fireworks device before 9 seconds began the approach at 8 
seconds. However, he did not actually reach the firework until 
approximately 35 seconds after lighting the fuse. The 19-second median 
approach time is approximately twice as long as the proposed 9-second 
upper limit. These data indicate that consumers are not likely to 
return to a fireworks device within 9 seconds of fuse ignition. The 
study also indicated that consumers are likely to use smoke and noise 
cues emitted by a fireworks device as a guide to when a device can be 
safely approached.
    Based on this study, the Commission's Human Factors staff does not 
expect an increase in injuries associated with increasing the maximum 
fuse burning time to 9 seconds. The Commission preliminarily concludes 
that increasing the range of fuse burn times from 3 to 6 seconds to 3 
to 9 seconds will reduce injuries caused by fireworks with short fuse 
burn times and will not create any additional hazard associated with 
long fuse burn times.

V. Compliance with the Current Regulation

    The Commission's Office of Compliance, Division of Regulatory 
Management, conducts an ongoing fireworks surveillance program to 
identify fireworks that do not comply with the Commission's 
regulations. Results of this program for fiscal years 1990 through 1995 
show that fuse burn time violations exceeded any other type of 
fireworks violation. For this time period, between 40 and 50 percent of 
all fireworks violations were attributed to fuse burn time.
    Surveillance data may not represent all firework devices, because 
devices tested for compliance to regulations are not randomly selected. 
In addition, the number of violations leading to legal action has been 
affected from year to year by variations in the staff's enforcement 
policies.
    As part of the CPSC's fireworks compliance testing program, the 
Commission's Directorate for Laboratory Sciences recorded more than 
26,700 individual fuse burn times from tests during the period FY 1990 
through FY 1995. These fuse burn times excluded firecrackers, since 
they are not covered by this regulation, and Roman candles, since they 
are subject to a different enforcement policy.
    Comparisons of fuse burn times measured over these years suggest an 
overall improvement in fuse performance. Short fuse burn times (less 
than 3 seconds) decreased from about 13 percent of the fireworks tested 
to 8 percent. Long fuse burn times (greater than 6 seconds) decreased 
from about 10 percent of the fireworks tested to about 5 percent. Based 
on these test data, the staff estimates that the compliance rate for 
fuses could reach about 98 percent if the proposed changes to the fuse 
burn

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time regulation are enacted.3 Short fuse burn times violations 
could drop to less than 1 percent, while fuse burn times greater than 9 
seconds could be expected to be about 1 percent.
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    \3\ These calculations assume that no changes would be made to 
fuse design or quality (except for a longer fuse) and that 
manufacturers would target a fuse burn time of 6 seconds.
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VI. Effective Date

    Increasing the allowable fuse burn times from the range of 3 to 6 
seconds to a range of 3 to 9 seconds will not have any adverse effects 
on manufacturers, since it will simply provide a wider range of 
allowable times. Thus, the Commission would like to make the amendment 
effective as soon as possible. Under 21 U.S.C. 371(e), 30 days is 
allowed after the final rule is issued to receive any objections to the 
rule. This section also provides that the final rule may not become 
effective before the 30-day period for objections expires. Therefore, 
the Commission proposes to make the amendment effective 31 days after 
the final rule is published in the Federal Register.
    If the Commission votes to issue the proposed amendment as a final 
rule, the Commission's staff intends to change its policy of not 
enforcing against fuse burn time violations as low as 2 seconds that 
now applies to all fireworks except reloadable shell devices, bottle 
rockets, and jumping jacks which exhibit erratic flight. After the 
change in policy, the staff would strictly enforce the 3-second fuse 
burn time for all fireworks, since there will no longer be any valid 
reason why industry cannot comply with the 3-second lower burn time. 
The current policy will continue with respect to fuse burn times of 2 
to 3 seconds, however, for a time after the effective date that is 
sufficient to minimize any adverse economic effects on manufacturers. 
Comments on how long the enforcement policy allowing 2-3 second fuse 
burn times should continue after the effective date should be sent to 
David Schmeltzer, Assistant Executive Director for Compliance, Consumer 
Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207.
    In addition, the Commission's staff is considering an interim 
policy of allowing fuse burn times between 6 and 9 seconds. This 
interim policy could be instituted after the end of the comment period 
on this proposal and before the rule is effective. Since increasing the 
allowable upper limit of fuse burn time to 9 seconds is expected to 
increase consumer safety, this interim relief appears to be in the 
public interest. Persons wishing to comment on the staff's plans to 
provide this interim relief should send their comments to David 
Schmeltzer, Assistant Executive Director for Compliance, Consumer 
Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207.

VII. Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    When an agency undertakes a rulemaking proceeding, the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., generally requires the agency to 
prepare initial and final regulatory flexibility analyses describing 
the impact of the rule on small businesses and other small entities.
    The purpose of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, as stated in section 
2(b) (5 U.S.C. 602 note), is to require agencies, consistent with their 
objectives, to fit the requirements of regulations to the scale of the 
businesses, organizations, and governmental jurisdictions subject to 
the regulations.4
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    \4\ The Regulatory Flexibility Act provides that an agency is 
not required to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis if the 
head of an agency certifies that the rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. 5 U.S.C. 605.
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    Based on information from the U.S. Department of Commerce and 
industry sources, the estimated value of imported shipments of consumer 
fireworks is about $70 to $100 million annually. Practically all of the 
imports are from China.
    Most U.S. firms that import, distribute, or manufacture fireworks 
for consumer use are small, and the proposed rule is not expected to 
result in any adverse impact. This is because the change to a longer 
fuse, which should increase production costs by only about one percent, 
will generate savings as a result of fewer rejections of fireworks due 
to fuse burn time violations. Based on information from a trade 
association and CPSC's Office of Compliance, an estimated 40 to 50 
percent of the rejections of fireworks as a result of private and CPSC 
testing are due to fuse burn time violations. The savings from the 
reduced violations, according to a representative of an industry trade 
association, could reach approximately $20 million annually. This may 
result in lower prices to the consumer.
    Any necessary adjustments to the manufacturing process will take 
approximately 1 week to accomplish once notification is received, 
according to the industry. Since fireworks which comply with the 
current 3 to 6 second fuse burn time requirement would automatically 
comply with the proposed 3 to 9 second fuse burn time requirement (and 
because the existing enforcement policy will be continued for a 
reasonable period of time), there will be no economic impact resulting 
from the proposed 31-day effective date.

VIII. Environmental Impact

    Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, and in 
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality regulations and 
CPSC procedures for environmental review, the Commission has assessed 
the possible environmental effects associated with the proposed 
amendment to the fuse burn times of fireworks.
    The Commission's regulations at 16 CFR 1021.5(c)(1) and (2) state 
that safety standards for consumer products normally have little or no 
potential for affecting the human environment. Since the acceptable 
range of fuse burn times will increase from 3-6 seconds to 3-9 seconds, 
the change will not cause any increase in noncomplying fireworks, which 
would require disposal. Therefore, no significant environmental effects 
are expected from the proposed rule if it is adopted. Accordingly, 
neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact 
statement is required.

IX. Conclusions

    For the reasons given above, the Commission preliminarily concludes 
that raising the upper limit of the fuse burn time range from 6 seconds 
to 9 seconds will reduce injuries caused by short fuse burn times. 
Further, the Commission believes that raising the upper limit of the 
fuse burn time range by 3 seconds will not cause additional injuries 
from long fuse burn times.
    In addition, the Commission believes that the risk associated with 
short fuse burn times is of more concern than any risk associated with 
long fuse burn times. With a long fuse burn time, consumers have some 
cues (absence of smoke and noise) to guide them as to when to approach 
a device; they have time to make decisions before they react. However, 
consumers have no cues to alert them that a fireworks device may have a 
short fuse burn time. The consequences of short fuse burn times can be 
immediate. Consumers may have no time to retreat to a safe distance or 
to take safety precautions.

List of Subjects in 16 CFR Part 1507

    Consumer protection, Explosives, Fireworks.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, title 16, chapter II, part 
1507,

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of the Code of Federal Regulations is proposed to be amended as 
follows.

PART 1507--FIREWORKS DEVICES

    1. The authority citation for part 1507 is revised to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1261-1262, 2079(d); 21 U.S.C. 371(e).


Sec. 1507.3  [Amended]

    2. In section 1507.3(a)(2), remove the words ``6 seconds'' and add, 
in their place, the words ``9 seconds''.

    Dated: August 2, 1996.
Sadye E. Dunn,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 96-20150 Filed 8-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P