Mohammad Nurul Alam
Kids are more vulnerable to various potential risks while wearing any clothes so before and during the manufacturing period, the garment needs closer supervision. Hence knowing the safety hazards would help apparel makers to take cautionary action and they should also inform the brand if any potential risks have been observed in the kid’s wear because of design error. To avoid complaints and penalties from the consumer protection law, kid’s apparel makers must be aware of and train the concerned people in the manufacturing unit.
The recognized hazards and unsafe that the RMG manufacturers should know and be aware of when making the baby garments are the below-
- Small Parts – Baby tends to put any object in the mouth that is attached to a garment so it can easily be swallowed and may be hazardous for health and cause choking. There are certain components of kids’ clothing that can be accidentally detached, such as rivets, buttons, zippers, hooks, bows, and other decorative labels. Due to sharp edges, some are even more dangerous when accidentally swallowed.
- Drawstrings- These are cords used on pajama or jacket’s hood hanging long, causing accidents when caught on doors, handrails, or even moving vehicles. Drawstrings at the hood are considered to be the most hazardous as they can cause strangulation. Hence, when a baby product is being processed for manufacturing, always need to double-check the measurement of drawstrings.
- It is advised the cords for kids might measure not more than three inches.
- It should also be fixed with bar tack stitch on the back instead of just knots and
- To avoid the possibility of the fabric being ripped apart it should be sewn seamlessly thus exposing the drawstring.
- Toxic Substances- To make fancy and cute children’s clothes are made with sparkly embellishments and dazzling colors that contain chemicals. Sometimes hazardous substances like Phthalates and lead may be found in plastics and garment prints that are considered the most common hazards mainly associated with children’s clothing.
- Both Phthalates and lead are considered toxic substances causing prolonged exposure of damaging organs to deadly diseases.
- Kids’ garments must confirm the hazard-free substance by laboratory and keep a record of it for the future.
- Flammable Fabrics- Kids’ sleepwear is designed to be light, soft, and comfy and usually produces flame if comes in very close contact with fire. The flammable kid’s wear includes nightgowns, pajamas, robes, onesies, and loungewear. Children’s sleepwear is usually designed as flowy and loose and so could be unfortunate circumstances. Kids may meet ignition sources such as stoves, candles, matches, and lighters.
- Sleepwear could rapidly burn and completely be ashes in under 150 seconds if it is made of cheap material instead of quality ones so apparel manufacturers should maintain the right quality.
- To avoid danger and secure children’s lives a lab test for flammability is a must for the product that is made as children’s sleepwear.
- Neck minimum stretch – A tee shirt without a button may cause suffocation while wearing through the head. If head passes are not enough to be easygoing, then the possible unwanted accident may occur and have the risk of life. The cautionary steps are –
- Always need to check the tension of stitches to achieve desired stretches.
- If possible, it would be better to use filament thread to get good elasticity.
- Random quality checks must follow to confirm the entire production is going to the right quality.
- Random pulling test– The button, rivets or any kind of embellishment that is attached on the garment might need to check randomly with a minimum of 70 °N strength otherwise it may be the cause of a big penalty
- Extra bar tack – Some seam areas like the 4-point armhole and leg crotch area may break the stitch because of extra pressure. Children tend to stretch their legs so the 4point area may tear off easily to avoid such issues an additional bar tack will keep the area secure and prevent not from opening the seam.
- Waistband elastic –For kids, tight elastic may cause damage to the skin, and it can also hurt the kids in the waist area so elastic quality must be strong but soft for kids’ bottom.
- Leg and cuff opening –Leg and cuffs sometimes cause difficulties for kids to put on and take off garments so the production supervisor must ensure the areas are flexible enough to put in and open it easily.
- Flexible garment – Kids tend to move around and do all kinds of body stretches during play time so the fabric and stitches might have to be of good quality for easy moving. Manufacturing units should have taken the kid’s product as very sensible because parents never compromise with kid’s products. So, if it seems not safe the goods will be unsold, and ultimately the blame and responsibility will come on the manufacturer’s shoulder.
In conclusion, it can be said children’s wear is always considered sensitive for skin, flexibility, and hazard issues. Many of the time it has been seen due to a lack of cautionary action manufacturers receive complaints and penalties that could be easily improved and avoided.
