CPSC Proposes Ban on Aerosol Dusters With HFC-152a, HFC-134a as Propellants
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is proposing to ban aerosol duster products that contain the propellants HFC-152a or HFC-134a, after finding there have been over 1,000 deaths from inhaling the products in the past 10 years, it said in a notice.
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The proposed rule would ban the import and manufacture of “any canister of aerosol duster product containing more than 18 mg in any combination of 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a, CAS # 75-37-6) and/or 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a, CAS # 811-97-2).” The ban would take effect 30 days after publication of the final rule setting the ban.
The proposal would include a stockpiling provision that would, during the period between the publication and the effective date of the final rule, prohibit the manufacture or import of noncompliant aerosol duster products at a rate of 105% or more of the rate at which they were imported or manufactured in the 13 months before publication of the final rule.
While the ban wouldn't apply to other aerosol duster products, including those that use HFO-1234ze or other substances, the proposal would require that all aerosol dusters be certified that they don’t contain more than 18 mg in any combination of HFC152a and/or HFC-134a.
The ban would not apply to other types of aerosol products that use HFC-152a or HFC-134a as propellants, such as “freeze sprays used to cool circuit boards, automotive refrigerants, and medical freeze sprays used to cool tissue specimens as well as aerosol products that use HFC-152a or HFC-134a as propellants but include substantial additional components (such as air fresheners, paints, lubrication oils, body sprays, and silicone lubricant sprays for food pans),” CPSC said.