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 


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