EU Releases Three Standards to Improve Safety While Children Sleep
CEN launches three voluntary standards to improve the safety of children’s cot duvets, cot bumpers and cot sleep bags.
- (1888PressRelease) January 05, 2019 - The European Committee for standardisation (CEN) has released three voluntary standards to improve the safety of textile sleeping products. These standards are:
• EN 16779-1:2018 Textile child care articles – Safety requirements and test methods for children’s cot duvets. Part 1: Duvet (excluding duvet covers). This standard specifies requirements for the safety of children’s cot duvets (excluding removable duvet covers) and cot quilts / coverlet suitable for children up to 36 months
• EN 16780:2018 Textile child care articles – Safety requirements and test methods for children’s cot bumpers
• EN 16781:2018 Textile child care articles – Safety requirements and test methods for children’s sleep bags for use in a cot. This standard is applicable to products for use by younger children based on them not being able to climb out of the cot (approximately under the age of 24 months)
Each standard includes:
• Design Characteristics (e.g. labels, embellishments, fabrics and filling materials)
• Mechanical and Physical Hazards (e.g. strangulation, small parts, sharp point and sharp edge)
• Chemical Hazards (e.g. migration of certain substances, formaldehyde, flame retardants)
• Thermal Hazards
• Fire Hazards
• Hygiene Hazards
• Labelling and product information
These standards follow the adoption of Decision 2010/376/EU by the European Commission in 2010. The decision highlighted the principle hazards posed to babies and young children while they are sleeping, often unattended. The decision listed the main hazards as:
• Hazards from chemicals
• Flammability risks
• Hyperthermia (overheating)
• Microbiological hazards and hygiene
• Entrapment from gaps and openings
• Entanglement (strangulation) hazards
• Choking and internal suffocation
• External suffocation
• Structural integrity
These voluntary standards have been developed and published following a mandate from the EU Commission. They will be published under the General Product Safety Directive.
National standards relating to these products must be withdrawn by February 2019.
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SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full New EU Safety Standards for Children’s Cot Duvet, Cot Bumpers and Cot Sleep Bags Released SafeGuardS. [www.sgs.com/en/news/2018/12/safeguards-16018-new-eu-safety-standards-for-children-cot-duvet]
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For further information contact:
Louann Spirito
US & Canada Softlines Business Head
Tel: +1 973 461 7919
Website: www.sgs.com/softlines
Catherine Follin-Arbelet
Juvenile Products International Expert
Tel: + 33 6 28 50 25 88
Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines
Email: crs.media ( @ ) sgs dot com
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