Safety Issues in Children’s Clothing

Whatever we do with our children, their safety is always our number one priority.  We’re always quick to assess the risk for day to day activities, but don’t often properly analyse the issues and potential risks around something that comes into contact with them 24 Hours a day 7 Days a Week – their clothing!

Clothing can be dangerous for children in a variety of ways such as flammability, drawstrings, choking hazards, in addition to a host of other safety issues. So what are the key safety issues to consider when buying your children’s clothing and what can you do to safeguard against any potential risks?

Flammability

Fire or burning is often the most common, and most serious safety concern for parents when investing in their children’s clothing due to the instantaneous repercussions of clothes setting fire. For this reason, wherever you are in the world, clothing items including nightwear and fancy dress costumes need to comply with the local regulations. As well as show specific parental or flammability warnings, safety symbols and instructions for use.

In Australia, clothing must comply with the following guidelines to be safe for children;

• Australian / New Zealand Standard AS/NZS ISO 8124.1：2013
• Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties
• Australian / New Zealand Standard on Safety of Toys AS/NZS ISO 8124-2：2009
• Flammability Test
• Australian / New Zealand standard on safety of toys AS/NZS ISO 8124 part 3：2012

These ensure that the product is not harmful and assess the risks posed to children. You will know if the clothing has passed these regulations as it will have a label somewhere on the garment stating its accreditation. Clothing will receive a rating depending on the category (between 1-4) with 1 -3 showcasing the ‘Low Fire Danger’ label, and Category 4 showing ‘High Fire Danger’.

You will also find that many items will contain a ‘CE’ mark. Despite not being applicable legally to the Australian market, only European. It is a key indicator of the quality of the product and an extra vote of confidence that is given to the consumer when purchasing.

Drawstrings

Drawstrings based around the neck area of some children’s clothing such as Jackets or Hoodies are a strangulation hazard. The ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) recommends either buying jackets or hoodies without a neck area drawstring or removing them completely as a precaution as they can get caught on cribs, playground equipment and a whole host of other items your child will come across on a daily basis such as fences. This can also be seen with waist-level drawstrings, often found on the waist of lower-body clothing or the bottom of upper-body like jackets that can easily be caught in car doors, lifts and other moving objects.

It has also been mentioned that the risk becomes greater with waist-level drawstring more than 3 inches long. However, we recommend if possible removing all drawstrings as a blanket rule until you can trust your child.

Choking Hazards

For infants and toddlers (as well as older children in certain scenarios) items on clothing that are small, detachable or simply loosely fitted pose a clear risk to children as a choking hazard if these were to be dethatched/fall off. At such a young age, it may be worth it to only purchase practical outfits with no small pieces instead of fashion conscious clothing that may put your child in harm’s way.

Other safety issues

Now you’re probably thinking “What else!? We’ve already seen enough clothing safety!) but there are several other everyday issues you need to watch out for when choosing your child’s clothing.

Shoelaces – Opt for Velcro ideally or ensure the laces are double knotted and tucked into shoes. This avoids potentially injury from tripping over.

Backpacks – When filling up your child’s backpack, be mindful that it is recommended that a child only carries 15-20% of their body weight. This weight also needs to be evenly distributed across the back so ensure there is a strap over each shoulder.

Loose Threads – Loosely knitted material or fabrics with frayed seams or edges could easily wrap around your child’s digits or limbs and pose a clear safety threat through lack of circulation and/or strangulation.

Zips – Simply speaking, skin can easily get caught in Zips and cause painful cuts and bruises. Ensure you are the online person zipping up/down your child’s coat if they do have one. However if possible stick to buttons/Velcro.

As you can see, there are several tell-tale signs to look out for when choosing clothing for your children to ensure their safety, as well as tips for avoiding unnecessary strains on their body. There are many ways in which we can overcomplicate how we choose our child’s clothing. However, if you spend the time to assess the items you can rest easy that your child will be safe whatever they wear.

For more information on child safety, visit Product Safety Australia

Article provided by T Charles.