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New standards for children's clothing

Do you produce or import children's clothing? Then pay close attention! Because there are new strict European standards for making safe children's clothing. The standards have been developed based on CEN/TR 16792 'Safety of children's clothing - Recommendations for the design and manufacture of children's clothing - Mechanical safety'. We are happy to explain them to you.

Requirements for sewn-on buttons and metal snaps have been strengthened in the new standards for safe children's clothing. Small parts pose a significant risk to infants and children. Should a small part of children's clothing come loose, such as a button, there is an immediate danger of swallowing, choking and/or insertion in the nose. Added to this is the fact that infants are seen as a very vulnerable group because they cannot verbalize cases such as swallowing or other medical consequences to their caregivers, for example. The new standards below, consisting of 4 parts, focus on mitigating the risks of dislodging parts in children's clothing (within the age range of 12-36 months).

Part 1

NVN-EN/TS 17394-1:2021 'Textiles and textile products - Part 1: Safety of children's clothing - Safety of attachment of fitted components - Specification'

This standard establishes the requirements for the safety of attaching clothing components defined as small parts. Examples include (pressurized) buttons and sequins. Specifications on the attachment of applied parts to clothing is therefore the focus here to prevent the danger of parts coming loose.

Part 2

NEN-EN 17394-2:2020 'Textiles and textile products - Part 2: Safety of children's clothing - Safety of button fastening - Test method'.

But how do you know if buttons are safely attached to children's clothing? You can assess this by conducting the test indicated in this standard. This is because the standard defines a test method for the safe attachment of both functional and decorative buttons to clothing.

Part 3

NVN-CEN/TS 17394-3:2021 'Textiles and textile products - Part 3: Safety of children's garments - Safety of attachment of mechanically attached metallic snaps - Test method'.

In addition to buttons, children's clothing often includes metal mechanically applied snaps. This standard provides the test method for the safety of attaching metal mechanically applied snaps to children's clothing for decorative and functional use.

Part 4

In CEN/TS 17394-4:2021 'Textiles and textile products - Part 4: Safety of children's clothing - Safety of attachment of components other than buttons and mechanically attached metallic snap buttons - Test method'

In addition to the proper attachment of components to clothing, this standard tests all components other than buttons and mechanically attached metal push buttons for safety.

Consider labels, badges, non-metallic snaps, etc. The method of this test consists of a very aggressive washing method, checking that components do not come off.

Parts 1, 3 and 4 of the standards are Technical Specifications (TS) and have been adopted as Dutch Prestandards. After validation, the methods will be included as European standards. The Dutch Prestandard are not yet mandatory at this time, but for safety reasons it is recommended to use these methods already.

Need advice or support?

Do you need advice on Textiles or Baby & Kids products? Précon Quality Services is happy to advise and support you in identifying and meeting your obligations. Feel free to contact us at +31 30 65 66 010 or info@precongroup.com.

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