WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.98.493
15 October 1998
(98-3977)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:  Consumer Product Safety Commission (27)
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Multi-purpose lighters
(HS Chapter 9613)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Multi-Purpose Lighters;
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (28 pages, English)
6. Description of content:  The Commission has reason to believe that unreasonable risks of
injury and death are associated with multi-purpose lighters that can be operated by children
under age five.  Multi-purpose lighters are hand-held, self-igniting, flame-producingproducts that operate on fuel and typically are used to light devices such as charcoal and gas
grills and fireplaces.  Devices intended primarily for igniting smoking materials are
excluded;  such products are already subject to a child-resistance standard at Title 16 Code
of Federal Regulations Part 1210.
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  To
propose a rule mandating performance standards for the child resistance of multi-purpose
lighters.
8. Relevant documents:  63 FR 52397, 30 Sept ember 1998;  16 CFR Part 1212.  Will appear in
the Federal Register when adopted.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined
Proposed date of entry into force:
10. Final date for comments:  14 December 1998
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, e-mail and telefax number of
the other body:  The text is also available on the Internet at:http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html