This week, the American Association for Justice submitted comments to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggesting new labeling requirements for drywall.
This is a result of the numerous problems associated with drywall, especially drywall manufactured in China, which has been identified as containing high levels of hydrogen sulfide, causing corrosion of appliances in homes and contributing to numerous health-related problems.
To date, the CPSC has not recalled any drywall or clearly identified any specific batches of the bad drywall, making the problem drywall difficult to identify, and the scope of the problem difficult to quantify. The agency is now working to establish protocols to identify the corrosive drywall and establish effective remediation procedures.
In the meantime, new drywall labeling requirements will help protect consumers and homebuilders, should defective drywall enter the marketplace again.
Specifically AAJ’s comments request the CPSC to:
- Require labels to include enough information so that the drywall remains easily identifiable when installed, including manufacturer name, plant name and location, date of production, and batch or lot number.
- Ensure the location of the labels be easily accessible, including labeling both sides of the drywall.
- Require drywall manufacturers that import drywall into the U.S. to register with the CPSC, including plant locations and the names and descriptions of products.
The new labeling requirements will help aid in quickly identifying any problematic drywall in the future and make it easier to recall the product, if needed.
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