Garments Safety for Children’s Clothing

Garments Safety for Children’s Clothing 

Noor Ahmed Raaz
B.Sc. in Textile Engineering (CU)
Specialized in Apparel Manufacturing
Merchandiser
A.M.C.S Textile Ltd (AEPZ)
Email: raju.uttara105@gmail.com

Introduction:

The safety of children’s garments is an extremely important issue in the garment manufacturing sector. Therefore, manufacturers are always committed to children’s product safety. Our customers trust us and expect us to provide them with safe products. So, they expect all suppliers to have the same commitment to this important aspect of quality. Today I would like to discuss about the safety issue in garments.

Garments Safety for Children’s Clothing:

Children aged 36 months and under are particularly susceptible to choking, asphyxiation and ingestion hazards caused by small objects. All components that could become detached from children’s clothing are all examples of small parts, and therefore choking hazards.

Some examples of small parts are listed below:

1. Snaps/Studs/Rivets.
2. Buttons.
3. Zipper Components.
4. Appliques.
5. Dungaree Clasp (Hasps) & Slider.
6. Bows and Rosettes.
7. Belt fastenings.
8. Toggles.
9. Small Textile Components.
10. Decorative labels- tabs outside of garment.
11. Rouleau Loops etc.
    

    Small part of trim or component

If the trim or component can fit within the small parts cylinder shown above, the item is considered a potential choking hazard. It is therefore, standard policy for all small parts intended for children 36 months and under to withstand a 90N pull force.

Guide Line for Safety Children’s Garments:

Each year there are a number of customer complaints due to injury or potential hazard caused by metal fragments found in garments. These include parts of needles, hand sew needles, staples, pins, knitting needles and even stray clippers found within the product. This article outlines the minimum requirements, and best practice, to demonstrate compliance with the policy.

There are two essential elements to compliance-

1. Prevention – taking all reasonable steps possible to make sure no stray metal can contaminate the product.
2. Detection – used as an additional check to ensure the safety of the product.

Compliance with the metal contamination policy requires a management-led commitment of no compromise and an education of the operatives. Factory managers should begin by carrying out an assessment of the potential risks of metal contamination presented by the nature of their production.

As well as the previous recommendations, it is advisable to take into account the following-

1. The use of pins is not acceptable.
2. Staples should not be used in the factory environment.
3. Equipment such as clippers and scissors, must be securely attached to the workstation or machine. The location and condition of these should be verified daily.
4. Loose snaps, studs, rivets, zipper parts and other small components should be stored in appropriate containers. General housekeeping is to be maintained to an acceptable standard, to avoid stray metal components. At final inspection you should always turn through the feet of sleep suits, pockets and mitts to ensure there are no loose snaps or studs. Now-a-days using metal detector in garments for identifying those metal components.
   

   Metal Detector Process in Garments

5. Threading wires for over lock machines should be held by the mechanic only. If it is necessary for the machine operator to hold the threading wires, the mechanic or supervisor must count them out at the beginning of a shift and back in at the end.
6. Spare parts or tools must be stored away from the sewing floor.
7. The use of non-ferrous metal components is mandatory in all cases. It is advisable to check stock on delivery to ensure that it complies and passes through a ferrous detector.
8. All mechanics and others working in the production environment must be required to comply. Product should be removed from the immediate vicinity if a risk of contamination exists.
9. It is advisable to make sure that all goods coming into the factory are contaminant-free. Responsibility for this must also be passed up the supply chain to component and raw material suppliers and subcontractors, such as laundries and embroiderers.
10. In cutting room, band knife operators must wear chain mail gloves on both hands when operating the band knife.

Noor Ahmed Raaz

Founder & Editor of Textile Merchandising. He is an Assistant Professor and Chairman of the Textile Engineering Department of a Reputed University in Bangladesh. He has performed numerous Research Regarding Textile Engineering. He has also received two times “Research & Development Fellowship” from the Ministry of Science & Technology in Bangladesh. For any further queries, please contact email at raju.uttara105@gmail.com or WhatsApp at +8801673758271.