CPSC Issues New Drawstring Safety Rule for Children's Outerwear

Drawstrings at Neck and Waist Present Strangulation Hazard and Other Dangers

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted (5-0) today to approve a new federal safety rule for drawstrings in children's outerwear. The final rule designates children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T through 12, with neck or hood drawstrings, and children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T through 16, with certain waist or bottom drawstrings, as substantial product hazards.  Drawstrings can catch or become entangled with objects, such as a car door or playground slide, posing dragging, strangulation entrapment hazards to children.

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CPSC has received 26 reports of children who have died when the drawstring on their garment became entangled on playground slides, school bus doors, and other objects. Waist and bottom drawstrings that have been caught in doors or other car parts have resulted in dragging incidents.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 provided CPSC with the authority to specify, by rule, for any consumer product or class of consumer products, characteristics whose existence or absence shall be deemed a substantial product hazard. CPSC's federal partners at Customs and Border Protection now have authority to stop potentially hazardous shipments of children's outerwear with drawstrings from entering the United States. In addition, CPSC has increased regulatory authority to issue product recalls of violative garments.

In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines (pdf), which were incorporated into an industry voluntary standard in 1997, to help prevent children from strangling or becoming entangled on drawstrings in outerwear garments, such as jackets or sweatshirts. Since the industry standard was introduced, fatal incidents involving garments with drawstrings through the neck or hood have decreased by 75 percent, and fatalities associated with drawstrings through the waist or bottom have dropped 100 percent. Nonetheless, from 2006 through 2010, the agency has participated in 115 recalls of noncomplying products with drawstrings.

CPSC Commissioners' statements regarding the vote on drawstrings in children's outerwear (all pdf): Chairman Inez M. Tenenbaum and Commissioner Nancy A. Nord.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this type of product or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov.

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CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products—such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals—contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 for the hearing impaired.  Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov.  To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission