Mechanical Safety of Children's Clothing 2007

Previous Eurofins surveys of children's clothing were carried out in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 one-quarter of the submitted articles were deemed not to be safe products and a further one-third of the samples had features which were deemed not to be satisfactory. In 2006 over half (58%) of the submitted articles were deemed not to be safe products.

Following these alarming results a repeat of the survey was offered. The aim was to determine the mechanical safety of items of children's clothing, including footwear, intended for children under three years of age.

The General Product Safety Regulations 1994 require that no producer shall place a product on the market unless the product is a safe product. The Regulations define a 'safe product' as any product which, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, including duration, does not present any risk or only the minimum risks compatible with the product's use, considered as acceptable and consistent with a high level of protection for the health and safety of persons.

The assessment of the safety of children's clothing was carried out using the British Standard BS7907:1997, Code of Practice for the Design and Manufacture of Children's Clothing to promote Mechanical Safety. The Standard has requirements for filling materials, monofilament sewing threads, buttons, pom-poms, bows, motifs, labels, slide fasteners, elastics, cords, ribbons, bow-ties, integral feet and hoods.

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