CPSC Accepts Underwriters' Laboratories Offer To Develop Television Receiver Standard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has accepted an offer from Underwriters' Laboratories (UL) to develop a proposed mandatory safety standard for television receivers.

UL, an independent testing laboratory, will have until October 16, 1975, to develop a recommended safety standard, covering the hazards of fire, shock, implosion of the picture tube and the mechanical/external failures associated with television receivers.

Under the procedures of Section 7 of the Consumer Product Safety Act, the Commission issued a notice in the February 28, 1975, Federal Register, inviting interested parties to offer to develop a safety standard for television sets.

UL will develop the proposed safety specifications with the assistance of consumers, television industry representatives, electronics experts and engineers from testing laboratories.

CPSC has agreed to contribute $54,895 to help defray some of the administrative costs as well as the travel expenses and per diem costs of consumer participation.

Normally, the time period for the development of a safety standard under Section 7 of the CPSA is 150 days after the Commission invites offers through a Federal Register notice, which in this case would be July 28, 1975.

However, to insure adequate participation by interested parties and because of the highly complex nature of the product, the Commission extended the standards development period until October 16, 1975.

Copies of UL's offer and the CPSC-UL acceptance agreement are available in the Commission's Office of the Secretary, 1750 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20207.

All persons interested in participating in the development of the standard should contact the UL Standard Project Manager, Mr. S. D. Hoffman, Underwriters' Laboratories, 207 East Ohio Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611 (telephone: 312-642-6969).