What’s are The Safety Policies for Garments?

by Engr. Kh. Mashiur Rahman | Aug 10, 2016 | Compliance

Safety Policy for Garments

The buyers are committed to providing quality products. Part of this commitment to quality is, to make sure that buyer products are safe for buyer customers and end consumer, the environment and people involved in the production of garments goods. Failure to provide safe products can have severe consequences, including: Civil proceedings  (for negligence and breach of statutory duty) if an unsafe product causes injuries– Criminal proceedings if the products do not keep to the Consumer Protection –Negative and damaging relationship with buyer customers and reduced customer confidence in the products.

The General Product Safety Regulations 2016 state the following:

‘No producer should place a product on the market unless it is a safe product…… taking into account in particular-

1. The characteristics of the product, including its composition, packaging, instructions for assembly and maintenance.
2. The effect on other products, where it is reasonably foreseeable that it will be used with other products.
3. The presentation of the product, the labelling, any instructions for its use and disposal and any other indication of information provided.
4. Categories of consumer at serious risk when using the product, in particular children.’

(This final point applies regardless of whether the item is intended for use by children or adults, if that item is considered to be in any way appealing to children.)

It is essential that products manufactured must be safe to wear or use and must keep to all relevant laws. The below is subject to variation in accordance with changes in legislation or level of interpretation. It is the supplier’s responsibility to ensure that all goods supplied comply with all current legislation and to keep up to date with any proposed change to current legislation.

Inadequate inspection procedures or poor supervision that could lead to a breach of safety are unacceptable and must be avoided.

Garments manufacturer must make sure that all products are safe. Garments manufacturer must make sure that all necessary precautions are taken during production to keep any risk to buyer customer as low as possible. Garments manufacturer must also tell us, if garments manufacturer find out about any issues that could risk the safety of buyer customer.

If garments manufacturer send buyer goods which are not safe, buyer will have to take the necessary action, which may include recalling the goods from buyer customer’s stores, cancelling that order or any other order made by garments manufacturer, having future orders inspected, recovering buyer charges, costs and possible loss of profits up to the possible termination of buyer business.

If an unsafe object, such as sewing needle, is found in a product there will be a charge. The charge for a first offence will depend on buyer customer. The charge for a second offence will be higher, e.g. double of the charge for the first offence (again depending on the customer) and buyer will have to review buyer business relationship.

The following pages will give advice on how garments manufacturer can keep to the relevant safety laws. However, garments manufacturer should check the laws and also take advice from appropriate bodies (including Trading Standards) to make sure that garments manufacturer are up-to-date with development and best practice.

Garments Policy

• All parts of garments should be non-toxic.
• Do not use staples.
• Finish the top edges of zips so there are no sharp edges.
• Poppers, rivets and snaps:

– Must be secure.

– Edges must be bevelled or finished so that the edges are not sharp.

– Must be applied on flat even surface

– Must be applied through minimum 2 ply fabric or through 1 ply with fusible         backing

– 90N pull test required

– Post fasteners required on woven fabric, prong attachment on knitted fabrics

– Correct die sets to be used

– Machine hoppers must not be overfilled

– Data sheet to be specified by the Fastener Manufacturer to be provided and to be            completed by garment manufacturer with 1^st of line production

– Roll setting eyelets must be used (opposed to split setting eyelets)

– Compatible dies from the manufacturer must be used

– A manual check must be carried out to confirm that popper prongs/posts have all             been pierced into the basic fabric

• All draw cords must be stitched from 2 or more pieces, unless a single cord is run from each side seam where it is securely attached.
• All drawstrings – whether functional or mock – should be fixed securely at one point using bar tacking or lock stitching.
• Hem or waist drawstrings must be securely fixed at the centre back or side seams for childrenswear, at a point equidistant to the exit points.
• All cord ends must be finished to prevent fraying. Ribbon ends must be heat sealed.
• Waist cord exposed ends must be no longer than 14 cm each side when the waist or hem is extended. This is to also include self-fabric ties.
• Draw cord exposed ends at the hem or any other part of a garment must be maximum 7cm.
• Draw cord that is a loop must be no longer than 5cm exposed.
• Toggles at the waist and hem are not allowed for childrenswear age 2-8.
• Ends should be either heat sealed or covered with securely attached plastic sleeves. Both must be free from sharp edges. Ends may be doubled or folded provided no entrapment hazard is caused. Please note that knotted ends are not allowed.
• Garments with functional hood cords and flat chest measurements of less than 44cms will not be approved (sealed) for production, as it is illegal to have a cord all around the hood, when they are sold as childrenswear.
• Functional draw cords, draw strings or decorative cords should not be used on the necks or hoods of children’s garments (9 years and under).
• There should be no cord exit point at the back of a child’s garment.
• For all childrenswear the ends of drawstring, functional cord must not have knots or any object that may cause entrapment e.g. beads, pom-poms.
• Fixed loops protruding from the garment shall be no more than 75mm in circumference
• Fixed loops which are flat to the garment shall be no more than 75mm in length between fixed points of attachment
• Garments should keep to:
• The Children’s Clothing (Hood Cords) Regulations 1976
• Safety of children’s clothing. Cords and drawstrings on children’s clothing. Specifications. (BS EN 14682)
• Restriction to hearing and vision must be taken into consideration when designing integrated hooded garments.
• Hoods must be designed to avoid close contact of the fabric to the child’s mouth and nose to make sure breathing is possible.
• Elasticated drawstrings cannot be used in any garments for children.
  • Elasticated cords should only be used in hoods for adult garments, if the ends are inserted into the garment with a loop adjuster. Washed garments must be rinsed thoroughly to remove any grit, dust and sand residue and all stones must be removed.

• Sand- & Stone washing must not be used for childrenswear due to the potential safety implications of stones remaining in pockets.
• An acceptable alternative to stone washing is an enzyme wash.
• Sand used during the washing process must be free from aluminium chips to allow metal detection.
• Documentation of 100% inspection for adultwear must show thorough checks for the removals of stones/sand.
• Garments washed or treated with chemicals, must have the chemical neutralised before shipment.
• In the light of the adverse impacts of sandblasting/blasting on the health of workers buyer have banned all forms of blasting during the design and manufacture of buyer products.
• Raised plastic motifs, rubberised prints and any other similar additions must be attached securely, stitched with no gaps, tested for durability and be phthalate free.
• Bows must have a maximum tail length of 8cm or 3 ” when positioned at the neck point for childrenswear.
• For all products, especially childrenswear, fusible motifs are unacceptable.
• Under no circumstances must trims be attached using staples!
• All garments must be clean of thread ends or floats longer than 0.5cm, as these can cause lacerations.
• Products must be examined inside and out to ensure that there are no loose objects or threads left inside
• All stitching must be finished securely to prevent unravelling.
• Machine embroidery must be lockstitch attached and secured.
• On embroidered panels, all non-woven backing material must be removed from around the embroidery and any large areas within the embroidery. All threads must be trimmed to 0.5cm minimum and maximum 1cm.
• Any heavily embroidered/appliqué or metallised yarn embroidered products for childrenswear must have a knitted fusible interlining applied, to prevent irritation.
• Embroidered garments are to have no floats longer than 1cm.
• Loops of embroidery thread are not acceptable and should be secured and then trimmed.
• Neck openings must have a minimum neckstretch which will be customer specific and will be mentioned separately for each order applicable.
• The neck must return to its original shape and not show any sign of distortion.
• Long floats or ends on reverse of knitted fabrics are unacceptable, in case during wear the threads become caught and do not break, causing injury.
• Float length to be no longer than 1 cm on jersey and knitwear.
• Metal objects such as pins, staples or clips MUST NOT be used in the packaging and presentation of any childrenswear products.
• Where possible the use of polypropylene bags is recommended on all products, not just childrenswear. Although they cannot cause suffocation as polythene, they must still carry a safety warning.
• Velcro fastening used must have no sharp edges and all corners must be trimmed.
• Avoid positioning Velcro fastening close to the face.
• Where positioned in an area that could have contact with the skin, loop fastener side to have direct contact
• Velcro must be phthalate free.
• Waddings and Quilted Waddings must be made from 100% Polyester, produced using heat bonding methods and low melt Polyester.
• Resin treated wadding is not permitted.
• A heat bonded scrim on the outer edge of the wadding must be used to prevent fibre migration.
• All loose ‘down tough’ type wadding to be double bagged to prevent fibre migration.
• Wadding fibres must not percolate through either the lining or the outer fabrics
• Thread used to secure filling material must be able to withstand a tensile force of 70N
• Wadding must be wash tested prior to production to avoid clumping and distortion