(a) Injury information.

(1) The Bureau of Epidemiology maintains a file of Accident Reports (In-Depth Investigations) which are conducted on a sample of product related injuries reported to the Commission by selected hospital emergency rooms, by consumers through the Commission's “Hot-Line” telephone service and through written consumer complaints and by other means such as newspaper reports. The purpose of this record system is to compile accident statistics for analyzing the incidence and severity of product related injuries.

(2) Inasmuch as the maintenance of the record system listed in paragraph (a)(1) of this section is authorized by section 5 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2054) and the data are used solely as statistical records, the system is exempted from the requirements of the Privacy Act relating to making available the accounting of disclosures, correction or amendment of the record and the application of these rules to the system of records. Specifically, the system is exempt from 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3); (d) (2) and (3); (e)(1); (e)(4) (G), (H) and (I); and (f). However, Accident Reports made by Commission employees are disclosable in accordance with paragraph (a)(3) of this section.

(3) Section 25(c) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2074(c)) provides that accident or investigation reports made by an officer or employee of the Commission shall be made available to the public in a manner which will not identify any injured person or any person treating him or her, without the consent of the person identified. Consequently, an accident or investigation report which identifies individuals is available to the injured party or the person treating him or her but would not be available for disclosure to a third party without the consent of the injured party or person treating him or her.

(4) Since accident or investigation reports are compiled only for statistical purposes and are not used in whole or in part in making any determination about an individual, they are exempted from the requirement to correct or amend a record as provided by subsection (d)(2) of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a (d)(2)). Exceptions from this paragraph, insofar as they relate to amendments or additions, may be allowed by the Executive Director.

(b) Inspector General Investigative Files—CPSC-6. All portions of this system of records which fall within 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2) (investigatory materials compiled for law enforcement purposes) and 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5) (investigatory materials solely compiled for suitability determinations) are exempt from 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3) (mandatory accounting of disclosures); 5 U.S.C. 552a(d) (access by individuals to records that pertain to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(1) (requirement to maintain only such information as is relevant and necessary to accomplish an authorized agency purpose); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(G) (mandatory procedures to notify individuals of the existence of records pertaining to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(H) (mandatory procedures to notify individuals how they can obtain access to and contest records pertaining to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(I) (mandatory disclosure of records source categories); and the Commission's regulations in 16 CFR part 1014 which implement these statutory provisions.

(c) Enforcement and Litigation Files—CPSC-7. All portions of this system of records that fall within 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2) (investigatory materials compiled for law enforcement purposes) are exempt from 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3) (mandatory accounting of disclosures); 5 U.S.C. 552a(d) (access by individuals to records that pertain to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(1) (requirement to maintain only such information as is relevant and necessary to accomplish an authorized agency purpose); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(G) (mandatory procedures to notify individuals of the existence of records pertaining to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(H) (mandatory procedures to notify individuals how they can obtain access to and contest records pertaining to them); 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(I) (mandatory disclosure of records source categories); and the Commission's regulations in 16 CFR part 1014 that implement these statutory provisions.

[40 FR 53381, Nov. 18, 1975, as amended at 42 FR 9161, Feb. 15, 1977; 59 FR 32078, June 22, 1994; 62 FR 48756, Sept. 17, 1997]