Choking Hazard Question

[Former_Member]

I just was looking over the link in another post, and it got me thinking about choking hazards. Most of us know that draw strings are now considered a no-no. But what about the ribbons in a pillow case dress? If you make these, how do you keep it from falling under the "hazard" department?

[Former_Member]

Here is the link I was referring to. Look on Page 11 for the choking hazard section.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/thrift/thrguid.pdf

[Former_Member]

Choking hazards apply to children under 3. If the ribbon is permanently attached to the dress there should not be a problem. If it can come off, then it would be.

[Former_Member]

Are the ribbons in your pillow case dress able to draw through the dress? Then they are a drawstring and based on #4 of the clothing page in your reference doc they are not allowed. If they are at the waist and come out no more than three inches then they seem to be permitted.

I saw many children's coats with hoods this past winter with drawstrings. Makes you wonder.

And to correct myself - this all applies to children 15 and under.

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

mymothermary
Treat the neckline ribbon like they tell you to do a waistband ribbon. I don't make pillowcase dresses, but do this like they suggest for waisbands.

Take the length of ribbon for the front, and find the middle, and the middle of the inside of the casing. Sew a staight stitch through the matching middles securing the ribbon so it can not be pulled out. Continue like you would stitching down the casing. Do the same on the back. I think this would do it. This is based on how they want you to sew the waistband drawstrings. Now lets be realistic, no one has died or been injured by a pillowcase dress, so you will be following the best case derections by the CPSC, What the heck more could you do.

[Former_Member]

Thanks Faye and pastperfect (love that name! My mother was an English teacher♥).

I missed that part Pastperfect. thank you. I can't use buttons or zippers....ribbons and velcro are all that are left for me! Didn't want to get snagged by another law. (I just simply avoid zippers and buttons because I can't afford testing)

Faye, thank you too.
I do stitch down the ribbon so it cannot be pulled out. I center the ribbon and stitch through at the center. I do this because it is a pain to keep re-threading a ribbon through after a little 3 year old pulls it out trying to dress herself :D

Just re-reading some of these restrictions made me do a double-think. I'm not so worried about my clothing being a hazard (wouldn't sell it if I was worried!) but more worried about following the law.

Thanks so much!

[Former_Member]

I too sew elastic in my dresses to give the illusion that the ribbons are going through. They are triple stitched in my dresses. I had a friend on March 2nd lose her 16 month old to a choking accident in her crib with a ribbon believe it or not. IT was not on a dress but she pulled it off of a decoration in her room. Even before that, I secured my ribbons but since then I let everyone know that even though it is a cute idea (especially to change out different colored ribbons) it is not safe. Even if it is an older childs dress, if there are small children in the home and they were to get into the laundry basket, you could a situation there. Sorry to go on, just a sensitive subject to me.
Thanks for listening.
Chrissy

[isgood]

A baby can choke on just the tail end of a bow, a little tiny piece! They may mouth the ribbon and it could tickle the back of the throat and cause the gag reflex, and vomiting which could then be aspirated causing choking. Ribbons and strings, long tails or pieces of fabric do not belong on infant items or for children that still put things in their mouths( under 3 years)

I cringe when I see some of the things sold as "infant teethers" Some fabrics will lose tensile strength when wet with saliva and baby teeth are very sharp. They can tug and tear pieces off. 22 lbs. of pull with torque (twisting) is the test that is used to insure that commercial infant toys are safe.

[AveryLane]

marking

[BeadingFindings4U]

wow, marking

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

Small parts regulations. Please read.

(January, 2001)
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Office of Compliance
Small Parts Regulations1
Toys and Products Intended for Use By Children Under 3
Years Old
16 C.F.R. Part 1501 and 1500.50-53
1 This document is a simple description of the small parts requirements and does not replace or supersede any requirements
published in 16 C.F.R. 1501, 1500.18(a)(9), and 1500.50, 51, 52.
Where can I get a copy of the small parts
regulation?
These requirements are published in the Code of Federal
Regulations in Title 16, Parts 1501 and 1500.50, 51, 52
and 16 C.F.R. 1500.18(a)(9). Copies are available on the
Internet at: http://www.cpsc.gov. For more information
on the small parts requirements, contact the Consumer
Product Safety Commission, Office of Compliance,
Washington, D.C. 20207, telephone: (301) 504-7913, email:
sect15@cpsc.gov.
What is the purpose of a small parts regulation?
This regulation prevents deaths and injuries to children
under three from choking on, inhaling, or swallowing
small objects they may “mouth”. It bans toys and other
articles that are intended for use by children under three
and that are or have small parts, or that produce small
parts when broken.
Which products must meet this regulation?
The regulation covers products that are intended for use
by children under three. These products include a wide
range of articles such as toys, dolls, and puzzles, nursery
equipment, infant furniture and equipment such as
playpens, strollers, and baby bouncers and exercisers.
See 16 C.F.R. Part 1501.2 for a more detailed list.
What is a small part?
A small part is any object that fits completely into a
specially designed test cylinder 2.25 inches long by 1.25
inches wide that approximates the size of the fully
expanded throat of a child under three years old. (See
figure). See 16 C.F.R. 1501.4 A small part can be:
(1) A whole toy or article.
(2) A separate part of a toy, game, or other article.
(3) A piece of a toy or article that breaks off during
testing that simulates use or abuse by children.
If a small part fits completely into the cylinder, and the
toy or product from which it came is intended for use by
children under three, the toy or product is banned because
the small part presents a choking hazard.
Small Parts Test Fixture
How can manufacturers determine what toys and
other products are “intended for” use by
children under 3 years?
(1) The rule lists general examples of the types of
products that are intended for use by children under
3 years old. 16 C.F.R. 1501.2(a)
(2) The rule uses three factors to determine whether a
toy is intended for use by children under three: the
manufacturer’s stated intent, such as the age stated
on a label; the advertising, promotion, and
marketing of the product as being intended for use
by children of a certain age; and whether the
product or toy is commonly recognized as being
intended for use by children under 3 years old. See
16 C.F.R. 1501.2(b)
(January, 2001)
How does a manufacturer decide whether a toy
or other product is commonly recognized as
being intended for use by children under 3?
(1) The CPSC publication “Manufacturers’ Abbreviated
Guide for Age-Labeling Toys: Matching Toy
Characteristics to Children’s Ages.” can help you to
match a product’s characteristics to the age of the
children for whose use it is commonly recognized.
To obtain a copy, call 301-504-0800 or visit
http://www.cpsc.gov.
(2) Request an age determination of the product by a
lab that tests for compliance with this regulation or
by another person or firm with expertise in this area.
Are any toys and products exempt from the small
parts regulations?
(1) Yes. Balloons, books and other articles made of
paper, phonograph records, writing materials such
as crayons, chalk, pencils and pens, modeling clay
and similar products, and finger paints, watercolors
and other paint sets are exempt because they cannot
be manufactured in a way that would prevent them
from breaking into small parts when subjected to
use and abuse testing. Children’s clothing and
accessories such as shoe lace holders and buttons,
and grooming, feeding and hygiene products such as
diaper pins and clips, barrettes, toothbrushes,
drinking glasses, dishes and eating utensils are also
exempt because they need to be small to perform
their intended purpose. See 16 C.F.R. Part
1501.3&4(b).
(2) Rattles and pacifiers are subject to their own small
parts requirements. See 16 C.F.R. 1510.3 and
1511.4(d).
(3) A product intended for use by children under three
must meet the requirements of the small parts
regulation unless the product is one of those items
that is specifically exempt from the regulation.
What testing requirements for small parts must
toys and products for children under three meet?
These toys and products must not release pieces that fit
completely into the small parts cylinder after impact,
flexure, torque, tension and compression testing. These
tests simulate the forces that toys and products can
experience during normal use and abuse by children
under 3. If these forces cause parts to break off that fit in
the cylinder, those parts present a risk of choking,
aspiration or ingestion to children under 3.
16 C.F.R. 1500.51 contains test procedures and forces
that simulate use and abuse by children 0-18 months of
age. 16 C.F.R. 1500.52 contains test procedures and
forces that simulate use and abuse by children 18-36
months of age.
Are there any other requirements intended to
protect children under 3 from choking on small
parts?
Yes. Toys and games that are or contain small parts as
manufactured and that are intended for use by children
from 3 to 6 years old must be labeled to warn
purchasers not to buy them for children under 3 years old
because those children could choke on the small parts.
Marbles, small balls, and balloons also require similar
warnings. See 16 C.F.R. 1500.19
Does CPSC have any other guidelines or
regulations that all products for children under
three must meet?
Yes. Toys and children's products must not have
hazardous sharp points (16 C.F.R. 1500.48) or edges (16
C.F.R 1500.49), have paint or any other similar surface
coating that contains more than .06% lead (16 C.F.R.
Part 1303), contain other hazardous chemicals (16
C.F.R.1500.3(a)(15)), or exceed flammability limits (16
C.F.R. 1500.44).
Which products and toys for children under
three must meet additional regulations?
Pacifiers - 16 C.F.R. 1511
Rattles - 16 C.F.R. 1510
Cribs - 16 C.F.R. 1508, 1509
Infant Pillows, Cushions - 16 C.F.R. 1500.18(a)(16)
Baby Walkers, Bouncers, Jumpers - 16 C.F.R.
1500.18(a)(6)
Electrically Operated Toys - 16 C.F.R. 1505
Dolls, Stuffed Toys and Other Products that may cause
lacerations or punctures. 16 C.F.R. 1500.18(a)(1), (2),
(3)
Small Balls 16 C.F.R. 1500.18(a)(17)
Do any other standards apply to products
intended for use by children under three years of
age?
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
is an organization that coordinates the development of
voluntary industry standards that supplement mandatory
standards. To obtain a copy of the Standard Consumer
Safety Specification on Toy Safety (ASTM F-963) and
other voluntary standards that cover specific children’s
products, contact the American Society for Testing and
Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken,
PA 19428-2959, telephone: (610) 832-9585, Fax (610)
832-9555, or visit http://www.astm.org.

[Former_Member]

if it can fit through a toilet paper tube it is a choking hazard... rule of thumb

[Former_Member]

marking