Kids' clothing with cords may cause strangulation: SPRING

SINGAPORE - SPRING Singapore has warned suppliers and consumers of the potential strangulation and entrapment risks which children's clothing with cords and drawstrings may pose.

28 out of 110 children's clothing samples collected from major and small retailers across Singapore did not meet safety requirements. Some had cords and drawstrings at the neck and hood area, while some cords and sashes were too long and might get entangled or caught in furniture or doors.

SPRING has instructed the companies supplying the products to stop selling them and all have removed them from their shelves.

There have been no reports of local incidents involving cords and drawstrings in children's clothing. SPRING also recently conducted a briefing to help suppliers better understand the applicable safety requirements for children's apparel, and to reiterate the importance of supplying safe products.

Safety tips are available on SPRING's website to educate parents and caregivers on what to look out for when choosing outfits for their children. The full listing of products which did not meet the safety requirements can be found at www.spring.gov.sg/children_apparel.

Consumers can find the latest safety alerts, advisories and tips at www.spring.gov.sg/productsafety. They may also contact SPRING at 1800 773 3163 or email: safety@spring.gov.sg to report unsafe products or make enquiries. SPRING and CASE will be jointly organising a seminar about consumer product safety on May 18, and members of the public who wish to register for the seminar may contact CASE.

Since the Consumer Protection (Consumer Goods Safety Requirements) Regulations were introduced in April 2011, SPRING has been conducting regular market surveillance to detect unsafe products and work with the suppliers concerned to remove them from the market. Anyone who continues to supply unsafe products may be liable to a fine of up to $10,000 or be jailed for up to two years, or both.