Federal Hazardous Substances Act FHSA

As a part of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), a modified Draize test was adopted [63-65] as the official method for evaluation of acute ocular irritancy [66]. It is a pass/fail determination that remains in effect today. Two refinements have been accepted as alternatives (a) the test which uses a small volume more consistent with the capacity of the inferior con-... 

To help protect small children, CPSC requires that the concentration of lead in most paints available through normal consumer channels be not more than 0.06%. The Federal Hazardous Substance Act (FHSA) bans children s products containing hazardous amounts of lead. 

The CPSC staff performed quantitative risk assessments on various flame-retardants for both upholstered residential furniture fabrics and foam.89 CPSC addresses chemical hazards under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), which is risk based. For fabrics, five flame-retardants were evaluated, that include antimony trioxide, deca-BDE, HBCD, phosphonic acid, (3- [hydroxymethyl]amino)-3-oxopropyl)-, dimethyl ester (PA), and tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride (THPC). These flame-retardants were selected for study because they are used to comply with the U.K. upholstered furniture flammability standard (except THPC) and fabric samples were available for testing. The staff concluded in 2006 that deca-BDE, HBCD, and PA would not present a hazard to consumers and that additional data would be needed to assess antimony trioxide and THPC. 

All Draize-type tests evaluate corrosion and irritation by using albino rabbits as subjects (Table 3). The Federal Hazardous Substance Act (FHSA) adopted one modification as a standard procedure to this method (1997). 

To carry out its mission, CPSC administers five statutes. They are (1) the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), (2) the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), (3) the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA), (4) the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA), and (5) the Refrigerator Safety Act (RSA). Toxicological issues arise most frequently under the CPSA, FHSA, and PPPA. CPSC regulations implementing these statutes may be found at Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and are available on the Commission s website. 

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) establishes regulations to enforce the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) which requires chemical product warning labels on consumer products... 

The primary hazard of commercial soluble silicates is their moderate-to-strong alkalinity. Contact—exposure effects can range from irritation to corrosion, depending on the concentration of the silicate solution, the silica-to-alkali ratio, the sensitivity of the tissue exposed, and the duration of exposure. Sodium silicate solutions of commercial concentrations having a m < 1.8 and silicate powders of m < 2.4 attack the skin when tested according to Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) protocols (93). Soluble silicates are rapidly absorbed and eliminated if ingested or inhaled (94,95). Trace quantities of silicon are essential in nutrition, possibly as a metal ion bio availability attenuator (96), but siliceous urinary calculi may result if normal dietary amounts are gready exceeded (79). 

The main three compounds already used in the UK for fabric protection appear to be on the accepted list for the US standard. For cotton-based fabrics the major candidate is phosphonic acid (3-[hydroxymethyl]amino)-3-oxypropyl dimethyl ester, sold as Pyrovatex. It is already used for apparel and does not meet the definition of toxic under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA). 

A recent report co-authored by a CPSC staff member concluded that "if a substance is considered "hazardous," then the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) requires cautionary labeling to address the principal hazard presented by the product and instructions for safe use, handling and storage of the product" (Thomas et al., 2006). If a substance is determined to be hazardous and the label deemed inadequate to protect pubhc health and safety, then the CPSC can ban the substance. 

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