BS EN 14682:2014 Safety of children’s clothing – Cords and drawstrings on children’s clothing – Specifications, is being revised and updated. The current standard is “designated” in the UK and “harmonised” in the EU.

This means that garments which meet the design requirements are presumed to be safe for cords and drawstrings under the UK General Product Safety Regulations and the EU General Product Safety Directive. It is anticipated that the revised standard will be Designated in UK or Harmonised in the EU in due course.

The proposed changes include new definitions for arm area and raw edges. Several definitions have been revised to improve clarity.

Many requirement clauses have been updated to reflect new and evolving fashion styles and features on clothing for children.

There are new or modified requirements for:

• cords emerging on the head or neck area of garments;
• decorative features on hoods of garments;
• raw edges on garments;
• cords on bootees and socks for pre-walking children; and
• cords in the lower leg area of garments including socks and hosiery.

The draft version can be viewed here. Comments and suggestions should be submitted to BSI by 6 June 2023.

The following article has been republished with grateful thanks to Sue Bolton of Bolton Consultancy Ltd. For further information, please click here to visit the Bolton Consultancy Ltd website.