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At long last, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has a new facility that will enable it to run tests that were previously not possible. On Monday, June 13th, after a full year of construction and an investment of $20.5 million, the Commission cut the ribbon on the Rockville, Md., location. The new facility will be running at full capacity by the end of this summer.
The 32,000 square feet of lab space (2½ times the size of the old labs) and new equipment will allow the CPSC to run mechanical and rollover tests on all terrain vehicles (ATVs), open flame tests on mattresses, tests of combustion products at more extreme temperatures, and carbon monoxide alarm testing.
Andy Stadnik, the director of laboratory sciences, told us that the CPSC has 75 engineers and scientific staff at the new facility covering the following areas: toy test lab, children's products lab, pool and spa products lab, impact lab (bike helmets), general product test lab, outdoor power sports lab, electrical products test lab, chemistry lab, combustion products test lab and flammability/fire test lab. Stadnik explained that the extensive labs will enable the CPSC to better carry out compliance and enforcement testing mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, and to develop new, safer standards.
—Molly Glauberman
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