BETHESDA, MD (BRAIN)—Manufacturers will likely have more time to comply with a third party testing requirement that went into effect this week for kids bikes.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission staff is recommending to the Commission that it approve a petition filed by the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association asking for a stay of enforcement on the testing.
According to a new consumer product protection law, all bikes marketed to kids 12 and under manufactured after May 17 must be tested by an independent laboratory to verify compliance with the federal bicycle regulations, known as 16 CFR 1512. Adult bikes must be shipped with a certificate of compliance to the regulations.
On April 1, the BPSA filed a petition asking that date be pushed back by at least a year to allow time for more labs to gain the accreditation required by the CPSC to run tests.
CPSC Staff is recommending an extension of several months for 1512 testing, with a longer stay for testing and certification to the reflector requirements. Currently none of the three labs accredited to test for 1512 are certified to test for the reflectivity standards in the regulation. CPSC staff is also recommending the Commission amend the certification for threadless bicycle stems, which, by design, cannot comply with the minimum insertion mark requirement.
The BPSA has been assured that no enforcement action will be taken while the Commission is considering action on the petition and the recommendation by CPSC staff, said Matt Moore, head of the BPSA’s legislative committee. The Commission is expected to act in the next week or so.
CPSC staff will be seeking industry input in early June on other problematic aspects of certification with Part 1512.
—Nicole Formosa
nformosa@bicycleretailer.com
