CPSC Findings on Bicycle Buckles
Summary: CPSC's lab has occasionally broken bicycle helmet buckles.
For Starters: Our own Opinion on This Issue:
1. Some buckles have broken when tested to the ASTM standard by Consumer Reports' labs or CPSC.
2. Buckles are not breaking when tested to Snell or ANSI.
3. No buckles should break under ASTM, and suppliers should strengthen them if they do.
4. Buckles that meet Snell and ANSI are entirely adequate, even
if they do break when tested to ASTM,
so the bottom line is:
5. There is no cause for consumer alarm about any of these helmets.
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20207
Office of the Secretary, Freedom of Information Division
4340
East West Highway, Room 502, Bethesda, MD 20814-4408
Telephone (301) 504-0785, Facsimile (301) 504-0127, E-Mail www,cpsc-os@cpsc.gov
AUG 27 1997
Mr. Randy Swart
Director
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
4611 Seventh Street South
Arlington, VA 22204-1419
Re: FOIA Request S704092: Commission Testing of Bicycle Helmets
Mfrd. by Troxel Cycling and Fitness Bell Sport. Inc.. Rollerblade.
Inc. and Giro Sports Design
Dear Mr. Swart:
Thank you for your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking
records from the Commission. Enclosed are copies of the correspondence
and testing results of bicycle helmets made by or for Troxel Cycling
and Fitness, Bell Sport, Inc., Rollerblade, Inc. and Giro Sports
Design. The records include file information generated by the
Commission itself for regulatory or enforcement purposes. The
Commission has established management systems under which supervisors
are responsible for reviewing the work of their employees or contractors.
The file information materials are final and have been prepared
and accepted by the Commission's staff under such review systems.
The Commission believes that it has taken reasonable steps to
assure the accuracy of the information.
Giro Sport Design Inc., has requested that the disclosure include
their following comments: "In fact, the Interim Rule requires
compliance with only one of three standards-Snell B-90, ANSI Z90.4-1984,
or ASTM F-1447--and all Giro helmets passed at least two of the
standards. We are concerned, however, that the CPSC's statement
that two Giro helmet buckles did not pass ASTM F-1447 may be used
improperly. This statement provides no meaningful information
to consumers--and, in fact, is misleading--because the Giro helmets
satisfy the CPSC's Interim Rule and because Giro does not claim
to certify its buckles to ASTM F-1447. As the CPSC would agree,
the fact that two Giro helmets did not pass ASTM F-1447--when
they fully complied with the Snell and ANSI standards--in no way
indicates that those Giro helmets are unsafe or would fail to
protect the rider in an accident."
The cost to the Commission to perform the file searches and prepare
this information was $80.00. In this instance we have decided
to waive the charges.
Sincerely
Todd A. Stevenson
Deputy Secretary and
Freedom of Information Officer
Office of the Secretary
Enclosures
And here is the letter to Giro.
Please note their comments above, which we
consider valid regarding Giro's own models.
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20207-0001
JUN 09 1997
OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
Division of
Regulatory Management
Frank Krivda
Compliance Officer
Tel: 301-504 0400 EXT. 1372
Fax: 301-504-0359
Bill Hannemann,
President
Giro Sports Design
380 Encinal St.
Santa Cruz CA 95060-2101
Dear Mr. Hannemann:
The staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission collected
two Giro bicycle helmet models in response to Consumer Report,
June 1997 article. In the article, Consumer Union reported that
certain bicycle helmets failed to meet the retention requirements
under the ASTM F-1447 and Snell B-95 because of buckle failure.
The two helmet models collected had buckles labeled, "ITW
Nexus TSK 63."
The Safety Standards For Bicycle Helmets, 16 CFR 1203, is
considered a consumer product safety standard issued under the
Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Bicycle helmets manufactured,
either domestically or by a foreign firm for export into the United
States, on or after the March 16, 1995 effective date, must comply
with at least one of the interim standards. The staff conducted
testing on two bicycle helmet models to determine compliance with
the Interim Rule: Safety Standards for Bicycle Helmets. Retention
testing was conducted under the following three standards ASTM
F-1447, American National Standards Institute (ANSI),Z90.4-1984,
and Snell Memorial Foundation (Snell) B-90. The staff limited
its testing only to the retention testing portion of each of these
standards and did not test to the remaining provisions of the
standards.
The following bicycle helmet models were tested using the
retention test under each of the above standards. The testing
results are:
Sample # Model Labeled Buckle
Standard
97 830-3835 Supermoto RL SNELL B-90/ANSI ITW Nexus TSK 63
97 830-3836 Mudshaker SNELL B-90 ITW Nexus TSK 63
Both models passed the retention system requirements under
ANSI and SNELL B-90, however, one each of the two models tested
for the ASTM F-1447 standard failed to meet that retention system
requirement. The staff would not consider the failure to
meet the ASTM F-1447 retention system requirements a failure to
meet the Interim Rule as both models did comply with SNELL B-90
and ANSI retention system requirements when tested to these standards.
If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call
or write to me at the above address.
Sincerely,
Francis J. Krivda
And here is the letter to Rollerblade.
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20207-0001
JUN 09 1997
OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
Division of
Regulatory Management
Frank Krivda
Compliance Officer
Tel: 301-504 0400 EXT. 1372
Fax: 301-504-0359
John Hetterick, President
Rollerblade, Inc.
5101 Shady Oak Rd.
Minnetonka, MN 55343
Dear Mr. Hetterick:
The staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission collected
one City Gear bicycle helmet in response to Consumer Report, June,
1997 article. In the article, Consumer Union reported that certain
bicycle helmets failed to meet the retention requirements under
the ASTM F-1447 and Snell B-95 because the buckles failed. The
buckle on the helmet model was labeled, "ITW Nexus TSK 63."
The Safety Standards For Bicycle Helmets, 16 CFR 1203, is
considered a consumer product safety standard issued under the
Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Bicycle helmets manufactured,
either domestically or by a foreign firm for export into the United
States, on or after the March 16, 1995 effective date, must comply
with at least one of the interim standards. The staff conducted
testing on the helmet model to determine compliance with the Interim
Rule: Safety Standards for Bicycle Helmets for retention. The
helmet model passed the retention system requirements of the ASTM
F-1447 standard. The staff limited its testing only to the retention
testing portion of the standard and did not test to the remaining
provisions of the ASTM standard.
Two units were tested of this model using the retention test
under ASTM F-1447:
Sample # Model Labeled Buckle
Standard
97 830-4194 City Gear ASTM/ANSI ITW Nexus TSK 63
If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a ca11
or write to me at the above address.
Sincerely,
Francis J. Krivda
And here is the letter to Bell Sports.
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20207-0001
JUN 09 1997
OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
Division of
Regulatory Management
Frank Krivda
Compliance Officer
Tel: 301-504 0400 EXT. 1372
Fax: 301-504-0359
Mary George, Chief Operating Officer
Bell Sports, Inc.
6350 San Ignacio
San Jose, CA 90010
Dear Ms. George:
The staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission collected six Bell Sport bicycle helmets in response to Consumer Report,
June, 1997 article. In the article, Consumer Union reported that
certain bicycle helmets failed to meet the retention requirements
under the ASTM F-1447 and Snell B-95 because the buckles failed.
The buckles on the helmet models collected were labeled either,
"ITW Nexus TSK 63" or "Pinchguard".
The Safety Standards For Bicycle Helmets, 16 CFR 1203, is
considered a consumer product safety standard issued under the
Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Bicycle helmets manufactured,
either domestically or by a foreign firm for export into the United
States, on or after the March 16, 1995 effective date, must comply
with at least one of the interim standards. The staff conducted
testing on six bicycle helmet models to determine compliance with
the Interim Rule: Safety Standards for Bicycle Helmets for retention.
All the helmet models passed the retention system requirements
of the ASTM F-1447 standard. The staff limited its testing only
to the retention testing portion of the standard and did not test
to the remaining provisions of the ASTM standard.
Two units of each of the following bicycle helmet models were
tested using the retention test under ASTM F-1447:
Sample # Model Labeled Buckle
Standard
97 860-6328 Tsunami Pro ASTM/ANSI ITW Nexus TSK 63
97 860-6325 Warped ASTM/ANSI ITW Nexus TSK 63
97 860-6329 Maniac Pro ASTM/ANSI Pinchguard
97 860-6330 Lil Bell ASTM/ANSI Pinchguard
Shell Pro
97 860-6326 BSI Headwinds ASTM/ANSI ITW Nexus TSK 63
97 860-6327 BSI Headwinds ASTM/ANSI ITW Nexus TSK 63
Toddler
If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call
or write to me at the above address.
Sincerely,
Francis J. Krivda
And here is the letter to Troxel.
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20207-0001
JUN 09 1997
OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
Division of
Regulatory Management
Frank Krivda
Compliance Officer
Tel: 301-504 0400 EXT. 1372
Fax: 301-504-0359
Richard Timms, President
Troxel Cycling and Fitness
1333 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92154
Dear Mr. Timms:
The staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission collected
one Pro-Action Radio Active bicycle helmet in response to Consumer
Report, June, 1997 article. In the article, Consumer Union reported
that certain bicycle helmets failed to meet the retention requirements
under the ASTM F-1447 and Snell B-95 because the buckles failed
The buckle on the helmet model was labeled, "ITW Nexus TSK
63."
The Safety Standards For Bicycle Helmets, 16 CFR 1203, is considered
a consumer product safety standard issued under the Consumer Product
Safety Act (CPSA). Bicycle helmets manufactured, either domestically
or by a foreign firm for export into the United States, on or
after the March 16, 1995 effective date, must comply with at least
one of the interim standards. The staff conducted testing on the
helmet model to determine compliance with the Interim Rule: Safety
Standards for Bicycle Helmets for retention. The helmet model
passed the retention system requirements of the ASTM F-1447 standard.
The staff limited its testing only to the retention testing portion
of the standard and did not test to the remaining provisions of
the ASTM standard.
Two units were tested of this model using the retention test under
ASTM F-1447
Sample # Model Labeled Buckle
Standard
97 800-1222 Pro-Action ASTM/ANSI ITW Nexus TSK 63
Radio
If you have any questions, please feel free to a call or write
to me at the above address.
Sincerely,
Francis J. Krivda