November 18, 2014
Health Canada has notified manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of children’s upper outerwear that specific children’s textile products can pose a danger to children.
The products listed as potential hazards for children include:
- Children’s upper outerwear in sizes newborn to 12 that have drawstrings in the hood and neck area.
- Children’s upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 16 that do not meet ASTM Standard F1816-97, Standard Safety Specification for Drawstrings on Children’s Upper Outerwear, for drawstrings at the waist and bottom.
“Children’s upper outerwear” means upper body clothing, such as jackets and sweatshirts, generally intended to be worn over other clothing. Drawstrings on these garments can become caught on playground equipment, fences or other objects and result in strangulation, or, in the case of a vehicle, a child being dragged.
According to the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, persons who manufacture, import, advertise or sell consumer products are responsible for making sure that their products do not pose a danger to human health or safety.