New EU Documents for Assessing the Safety of Attached Components to Childrens Clothing Released
Suppliers of children’s clothing with small, attached components to markets in the European Union (EU) are advised that the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has developed four new documents that should be referred to when ensuring compliance with the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD).
The four documents – one EU standard and three Technical Specifications (TS) – are based upon CEN/TR 16792:2014 – Safety of children’s clothing – Recommendations for the design and manufacture of children’s clothing – Mechanical safety.
They are:
- EN 17394-2:2020 – Textiles and Textile Products – Part 2: Safety of Children’s Clothing - Security of Attachment of Buttons – Test Method
- CEN/TS 17394-3:2021 – Textiles and Textile Products – Part 3: Safety of Children’s Clothing – Security of Attachment of Metal Mechanically Applied Press Fasteners – Test Method
- CEN/TS 17394-4:2021 – Textiles and Textile Products – Part 4: Safety of Children’s Clothing – Security of Attachment of Components Except Buttons and Metal Mechanically Applied Press Fasteners – Test Method
- CEN/TS 17394-1:2021 – Textiles and Textile Products – Part 1: Safety of Children’s Clothing – Security of Attachment of Attached Components to Infants’ Clothing – Specification
EN 17394-2:2020 defines the test method for the security of attachment for functional and decorative buttons on a wide variety of children’s clothing. It covers only sewn-on buttons, toggle buttons and tack buttons.
Components not under the scope of EN 17394-2:2020 must be considered using either:
- CEN/TS 17394-3:2021 – which defines the test method for assessing the security of attachment of functional and decorative metal mechanically applied press fasteners on a wide variety of children’s clothing. It cannot be used to assess eyelets and rivets
- CEN/TS 17394-4:2021 – involving an extremely aggressive wash method, this can be used to assess all other components including labels, badges, sequins, rhinestones, rivets, eyelets and non-metal press fasteners. These are too small to be gripped in test equipment jaws or their integrity may be disrupted by gripping
Performance recommendations are provided in CEN/TS 17394-1:2021. This provides the requirements for the security of attachment for children’s clothing components that are considered as small parts, such as buttons, press fasteners, rivets, sequins, diamantes (or pieces of these components) which fit entirely within the small parts cylinder without compression.
It should be noted that these documents do not apply to childcare articles, footwear, toys, other articles sold with clothing. Disguise clothing, such as carnival clothing, falls under the EU Toy Safety Directive.
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