Safety of childcare articles and children’s clothing

The manufacturer of childcare articles and children’s clothing has the main responsibility for ensuring product safety. It is the manufacturer who is in control of the product design and the subsequent production.  

Safety in design

Product safety starts with good product design and designing safety into the product. There are some key areas that a manufacturer should consider when designing safety into a product.

Under the General Product Safety Directive, a product is safe if it meets all legal safety requirements under European or national law.

A ‘safe product’ shall mean –

any product which, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, does not present any risk or only the minimum risks compatible with the product’s use, considered to be acceptable and consistent with a high level of protection for the safety and health of persons

It is important to take into account the following points in particular:

• the characteristics of the product, including its composition, packaging, instructions for assembly
• the effect on other products, where it is reasonably foreseeable that it will be used with other products
• the presentation of the product, the labelling, any warnings and instructions for its use and disposal and any other indication or information regarding the product
• the categories of consumers at risk when using the product, in particular children and the elderly

There are various items included in the product category ‘childcare articles’ from pushchairs to soothers and a wide range of European standards apply. The standards concerning childcare articles and children’s clothing can be located on the European Commission’s website. These standards support the design of a safe product. These key standards generally include chemical, flammability, physical and mechanical requirements.

Risks

The manufacturer has to carry out an assessment of the product that covers all relevant risks that may be associated with it and actions taken to mitigate these where possible. The risks that the manufacturer should be looking out for are:

• Mechanical
• Physical
• Chemical
• Thermal
• Hygiene

Products often include materials that are not produced by the manufacturers themselves, so they should make it clear to their suppliers what their raw materials will be used for and ask for test certificates. They should also approach a reputable, independent laboratory to test samples of their products. Finally, they should review the harmonised toy safety standards to get instructions how to avoid potential hazards.

You can learn more about this subject in the ‘Importance of risk management’ module.