3914 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2024 / Notices 

Status: The February 26, 2024 

meeting will be open to public 

participation with a 15-minute public 

comment period at 3:15 p.m. EST. The 

ORAP expects that public statements 

presented at its meetings will not be 

repetitive of previously submitted 

verbal or written statements. In general, 

each individual or group making a 

verbal presentation will be limited to a 

total time of three minutes. Written 

comments for the February 26, 2024 

meeting should be received by February 

16, 2024 by the ORAP DFO (DFO.orap@

noaa.gov) to provide sufficient time for 

ORAP review. Written comments 

received by the ORAP DFO after this 

date will be distributed to the ORAP, 

but may not be reviewed prior to the 

meeting date. 

Special Accommodations: These 

meetings are physically accessible to 

people with disabilities. Requests for 

special accommodations may be 

directed to the ORAP DFO no later than 

12 p.m. EST on February 16, 2024. 

Matters to be Considered: During the 

ORAP meeting on Dec 13–14, 2023, the 

Ocean Policy Committee (OPC) 

requested that the ORAP advise on areas 

of opportunity for partnership (such as 

through the National Oceanic 

Partnership Program) on the topic of 

emerging technology (which could 

include Artificial Intelligence/Machine 

Learning, eDNA, and similar 

technology) with ocean industry and 

other sectors over the next 5–10 years. 

The OPC also requested that ORAP selfselect another topic to address. The 

ORAP members agreed that the topic of 

accessible, inter-operable, 

interdisciplinary, and trusted ocean data 

to meet research and user needs is 

critical and deserves ORAP immediate 

attention. At this virtual meeting on 

February 26, 2024, ORAP members will 

be discussing the approach to address 

those two OPC taskings based on an 

initial review of each topic conducted 

by ORAP members. Meeting materials, 

including work products, will be made 

available on the ORAP website: https:// 

www.noaa.gov/ocean-research-advisorypanel/orap-public-meetings. 

Dated: December 19, 2023. 

David Holst, 

Director Chief Financial Officer/CAO, Office 

of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01062 Filed 1–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–KD–P 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket No. CPSC–2024–0003] 

Petition Requesting Rulemaking To 

Mandate Testing and Labeling 

Regarding Slip Resistance of Flooring, 

Floor Coatings and Treatments, Floor 

Cleaning Agents, and Footwear 

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

ACTION: Request for comments on 

petition for rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety 

Commission (CPSC or Commission) has 

received a petition requesting that the 

Commission initiate rulemaking to 

mandate testing and labeling regarding 

the slip resistance (traction) of 

commercial and residential grade floor 

coverings, floor coatings and treatments, 

residential and commercial floor 

cleaning agents, and consumer footwear. 

The Commission invites written 

comments concerning the petition. 

DATES: Submit comments by April 22, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments, 

identified by Docket No. CPSC–2024– 

0003, by any of the following methods: 

Electronic Submissions: Submit 

electronic comments to the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal at: https://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

CPSC typically does not accept 

comments submitted by email, except as 

described below. CPSC encourages you 

to submit electronic comments by using 

the Federal eRulemaking Portal. 

Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier Written 

Submissions: Submit comments by 

mail/hand delivery/courier to: Office of 

the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 

Commission, 4330 East West Highway, 

Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone: (301) 

504–7479. If you wish to submit 

confidential business information, trade 

secret information, or other sensitive or 

protected information that you do not 

want to be available to the public, you 

may submit such comments by mail, 

hand delivery, or courier, or you may 

email them to: cpsc-os@cpsc.gov. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the agency name and docket 

number for this notice. CPSC may post 

all comments without change, including 

any personal identifiers, contact 

information, or other personal 

information provided, to: https://

www.regulations.gov. Do not submit 

electronically: confidential business 

information, trade secret information, or 

other sensitive or protected information 

that you do not want to be available to 

the public. If you wish to submit such 

information, please submit it according 

to the instructions for mail/hand 

delivery/courier written submissions. 

Docket: To read background 

documents or comments regarding this 

petition, go to: https://

www.regulations.gov, insert docket 

number CPSC–2024–0003 in the 

‘‘Search’’ box, and follow the prompts. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Alberta E. Mills, Office of the Secretary, 

Consumer Product Safety Commission, 

4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 

20814; telephone: (301) 504–7479; 

email: amills@cpsc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 

11, 2023, the National Floor Safety 

Institute (NFSI; petitioner) requested 

that the Commission initiate rulemaking 

to mandate testing and labeling 

regarding the slip resistance (traction) of 

commercial and residential grade floor 

coverings, floor coatings and treatments, 

residential and commercial floor 

cleaning agents, and consumer footwear. 

The petitioner requests that the 

Commission require that: 

• manufacturers of commercial and 

residential grade floor coverings and 

coatings test the slip resistance of their 

products in accordance with the most 

current version of NFSI’s standard 

B101.3, Test Method for Measuring the 

Wet Dynamic Coefficient of Friction 

(DCOF) of Hard Surface Walkways, and 

label their products in accordance with 

the most current version of NFSI 

standard B101.5, Standard Guide for 

Uniform Labeling Method for Identifying 

the Wet Dynamic Coefficient of Friction 

(Traction) of Floor Coverings, Floor 

Coatings, Treatments, Commercial and 

Residential Floor Chemical Agents, and 

Consumer Footwear (B101.5); 

• manufacturers of commercial and 

residential grade chemical floor cleaners 

and treatments test the slip resistance of 

their products in accordance with the 

most current version of NFSI standard 

B101.2, Test Method for Determining the 

Impact on Wet Coefficients of Friction of 

Various Chemical or Physical Walkway 

Surface Cleaners and Treatments on 

Common Hard-Surface Flooring 

Materials, and label their products in 

accordance with the most current 

version of NFSI standard B101.5; and 

• manufacturers of footwear test the 

slip resistance of their products’ 

outsoles in accordance with the most 

current version of NFSI standard 

B101.7, Standard Test Method for Lab 

Measurement of Footwear Heel Outsole 

Material Coefficient of Friction on 

Liquid-Contaminated Floor Surfaces, 

and label their products in accordance 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2024 / Notices 3915 

1 During the comment period for this notice, readonly copies of the NFSI standards referenced in the 

petition are available for viewing at https://nfsi.org/ 

nfsi-standards-portal/. 

2The docketing notice for CP 16–1 is available at 

80 FR 75,639 (Dec. 3, 2015). 

3Staff’s briefing package recommending that the 

Commission deny petition CP 16–1 is available at: 

https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/ 

Petition%20CP%2016-1%20-%20Labeling%20

Requirements%20Regarding%20SlipResistance%20of%20Floor%20Coverings%20- 

%20December%207%202016.pdf. The Record of 

Commission Action directing staff to prepare a 

denial letter is available at: https://www.cpsc.gov/ 

s3fs-public/RCA%20-%20Petition%20CP%2016- 

1%20Labeling%20Requirements

%20Regarding%20Slip-Resistance%20

of%20Floor%20Coverings%20121316.pdf. The 

draft denial letter is available at: https://

www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Draft%20Letter%20

to%20Petitioner%20Regarding%20Denial%20

of%20Petition%20CP-16- 

1%20Floor%20Coverings.pdf. The Record of 

Commission Action approving the issuance of the 

draft denial letter is available at: https://

www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/RCA%20- 

%20Draft%20Letter%20to%20Petitioner

%20Regarding%20Denial%20of

%20Petition%20CP%2016- 

1%20Floor%20Coverings%20011817_0.pdf. 

4The docketing notice for CP 18–2 is available at 

83 FR 26228 (June 6, 2018). 5Staff’s briefing package recommending that the 

Commission deny petition CP 18–2 is available at: 

https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/ 

Petition%20CP%2018-2%20-%20Labeling

%20Requriements%20Regarding%20SlipResistance%20of%20Fl....pdf. The Record of 

Commission Action directing staff to prepare a draft 

denial letter is available at: https://www.cpsc.gov/ 

s3fs-public/RCA%20-%20Petition%20CP%2018- 

2%20Labeling%20Requirements%20

Regarding%20Slip-Resistance%20of%20Floor

%20Coverings.pdf. The draft denial letter is 

available at: https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/ 

2018%20Denial%20Letter%20

for%20Petition%20CP%2018-2%20- 

%20Seeking%20Labeling%20Requirments%20

for%20Slip-Resistance%20of%20Floor%20

Coverings%20-%20080719.pdf. The Record of 

Commission Action approving the issuance of the 

draft denial letter is available at: https://

www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/RCA-Denial%20

Letter%20-%20CP%2018-2%20Seeking

%20Labeling%20Requirements%20for%20SlipResistance%20of%20Floor%20Coverings.pdf. 

with the most current version of NFSI 

standard B101.5. 

The NFSI standards that the petitioner 

requests that the Commission mandate 

provide test methods for assessing the 

coefficient of friction (COF) of the listed 

products along with graphics to label 

the products as having low, moderate, 

or high traction, based on the COF test 

results.1 As such, the petitioner’s 

request is not that any level of slip 

resistance be mandated, but rather that 

the listed products be tested for their 

COF and then labeled with the resulting 

information. The petitioner asserts that 

requiring manufacturers to provide this 

slip-resistance information to 

consumers at the point of sale would 

enable consumers to make informed 

buying decisions, and thereby address 

the risk of injury associated with slips 

and falls, primarily involving the 

elderly. 

The petitioner previously submitted 

similar requests for rulemaking. In 2015, 

the petitioner requested that the 

Commission initiate a rulemaking to 

require manufacturers of floor coverings 

to test and label their products in 

accordance with NFSI B101.5–2014, 

Standard Guide for Uniform Labeling 

Method for Identifying the Wet Static 

and Wet Dynamic Coefficient of Friction 

(Traction) of Floor Coverings, Floor 

Coverings with Coatings, and Treated 

Floor Coverings. That request was 

docketed as petition CP 16–1.2 The 

Commission denied that petition 

because there was insufficient 

information to demonstrate that the 

requested rule would assist consumers 

in assessing the comparative safety of 

floor coverings or reduce slip and fall 

incidents. Specifically, the Commission 

concluded that the petition did not 

establish an association between slip 

and fall incidents and particular types 

of flooring; there was a lack of 

consistency and accuracy in test 

methods used; there was insufficient 

information in the petition to indicate 

that a high COF decreased the risk of 

slips and falls; and a labeling 

requirement would be insufficient to 

address the hazard because a COF is 

likely only one of several factors 

involved in slips and falls.3

In 2018, the petitioner submitted a 

similar request that the Commission 

initiate rulemaking to require 

manufacturers of floor coverings and 

coatings to test their products in 

accordance with NFSI B101.3–2012, 

Test Method for Measuring Wet DCOF of 

Common Hard-Surface Floor Materials 

(Including Action and Limit Thresholds 

for the Suitable Assessment of the 

Measured Values), label their products 

according to NFSI B101.5–2014, and 

require flooring retailers to provide 

point-of-sale information regarding the 

label to assist with purchasing 

decisions. That request was docketed as 

petition CP 18–2.4 The Commission 

denied that petition because the request 

had not adequately addressed the 

concerns cited in the previous denial.5

The Commission seeks comments 

concerning the present petition. 

The major factors the Commission 

considers in deciding whether to grant 

or deny a petition (in pertinent part) 

include the following: 

• whether the product presents an 

unreasonable risk of injury; 

• whether a rule is reasonably 

necessary to eliminate or reduce the risk 

of injury; and 

• whether failure of the Commission 

to initiate the rulemaking proceeding 

requested would unreasonably expose 

the petitioner or other consumers to the 

risk of injury which the petitioner 

alleges is presented by the product. 

16 CFR 1051.9(a). In considering these 

factors, the Commission will treat as an 

important component of each one the 

relative priority of the risk of injury 

associated with the product about 

which the petition has been filed and 

the Commission’s resources available 

for rulemaking activities with respect to 

that risk of injury. 16 CFR 1051.9(b); see 

also 16 CFR 1009.8 (stating criteria 

upon which the Commission priorities 

are based). 

The petition is available at: http://

www.regulations.gov, under Docket No. 

CPSC–2024–0003, Supporting and 

Related Materials. Alternatively, 

interested parties may obtain a copy of 

the petition by writing or calling the 

Office of the Secretary, Consumer 

Product Safety Commission, 4330 East 

West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; 

telephone (301) 504–7479. 

Alberta E. Mills, 

Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01081 Filed 1–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6355–01–P 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

COMMISSION 

Sunshine Act Meeting 

TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 

2024—10:00 a.m. 

PLACE: Virtual. 

STATUS: Commission Meeting—Closed 

to the Public. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: 

Meeting Matter: Briefing Matters. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Alberta E. Mills, Office of the Secretary, 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety 

Commission, 4330 East West Highway, 

Bethesda, MD 20814, 301–504–7479 

(Office) or 240–863–8938 (Cell). 

Dated: January 17, 2024. 

Alberta Mills, 

Commission Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01212 Filed 1–18–24; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 6355–01–P 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1