CPSC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s recent seizure at a U.S. port of two shipments of children’s Halloween costumes with safety issues has resulted in many questions to us about what parents should look for when buying a Halloween costume.

Here are some things for you to consider:

Q: Are costumes required to be flame resistant?

A: Yes. Costumes can’t have fabrics that burn rapidly and intensely. This applies to all clothing, including costumes.

Q: Are accessories such as wigs, beards and wings also required to be flame resistant?

A: Yes. Both Halloween accessories and toys must meet flammability requirements.

Q: Different Halloween costumes have different warnings. Some say “flame resistant.” Some say “keep away from flames.” Some say nothing. Does this mean that some items are flame resistant and others are not?

A: No. All costumes must meet the flammability requirements. This doesn’t mean that textiles won’t burn. All textiles can burn and should be kept away from flames. Parents should look for costumes made from synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester because these materials are less likely to ignite, will resist burning and will extinguish more quickly if they do ignite. Manufacturers sometimes promote this by putting a “flame resistant” label on the package. The warning label to keep a costume away from flames is important advice that is provided by the manufacturer.

Q:  How can a parent tell if a costume is safe?

A: You should have two concerns. First, check for any labels on the costume about its flammability and the materials that the costume is made from. Second, choose well-fitting costumes that are not too big and billowy.

Q: The costumes mentioned above contained lead. How can parents know whether a product meets the lead requirement?

A: All children’s costumes sold in the U.S. must meet federal lead safety standards. Manufacturers must test costumes if they contain certain items that could have lead, like buttons, snaps and appliques, as well as other Halloween-themed accessories.

Q: How else can parents keep their children safe on Halloween?

A:

1. Carve pumpkins safely. Sixty-four percent of Halloween-related injuries between October and November last year were related to pumpkin carving.
2. Use battery operated candles and lights instead of candles.
3. If you are making your child’s costume, trim the costume or outerwear with reflective tape to make it easier for your child to be seen.
4. Carry flashlights or glow sticks when trick-or-treating after dusk.

You can find more Halloween safety tips in our Halloween Safety Alert.

“The pajamas fail to meet the federal flammability standards for children’s sleepwear posing a risk of burn injury to children.”

What does that line mean for a parent or grandparent buying pajamas for a child?

CPSC enforces a regulation that requires that children’s sleepwear to protect children from burn injuries if they come in contact with a small open flame, such as from matches, lighters, candles, stoves, ranges, space heaters and fireplaces.

The regulation was enacted in the early 1970s in response to children suffering burn injuries, which typically happened before bedtime and around breakfast. Today, CPSC rarely receives reports of sleepwear-related fires.

When you buy pajamas, you’ll see two types: loose-fitting and tight-fitting. Loose fitting pajamas must be flame resistant. That means that the fabric shouldn’t ignite near a small, open flame. And if it does ignite, it should stop burning.  Some loose-fitting items are nightgowns, loungewear, robes or any loose clothing intended to be worn mainly for sleeping.

Tight-fitting pajamas fit close to a child’s body. The fabric does not need to be flame resistant because of how it fits. Tight-fitting pajamas do not ignite easily, and if the pajamas ignite, they do not readily burn. You should always see a label on these pajamas telling you to wear them snugly.

CPSC tests children’s sleepwear in our product testing lab. Here’s what happens with sleepwear that meets the standard versus sleepwear that doesn’t:

If you own any of the pajamas recalled, take the pajamas away from your children. Contact the recalling company for a refund, exchange or store credit as described in the recalls.

Look at your child’s jackets, sweatshirts and sweaters. See nothing unusual? Now, look again. Do they have drawstrings?

For reasons we show below, CPSC passed a rule in July 2011, designating most drawstrings in children’s upper outerwear as hazardous. This essentially means that you shouldn’t see for sale, and your child shouldn’t wear, jackets, sweatshirts and sweaters with dangerous drawstrings. That means no neck or hood drawstrings for upper outerwear in sizes 2T through 12 or S through L. In addition, certain waist or bottom drawstrings are considered dangerous.

These waist drawstrings and the hood drawstrings above are what you should not see on your child’s clothes.

With waist drawstrings, there are three things to look for:

• When the clothing is at its fullest width, the drawstring should not hang out more than 3 inches.
• There shouldn’t be any toggles or other attachments on the drawstring.
• The drawstring must be stitched into the back so that it cannot be pulled to one side.

Here’s why:

Drawstrings can catch on items such as playground equipment or vehicle doors. CPSC has received 26 reports of children who have died when drawstrings in their clothes got tangled on playground slides, school bus doors and other objects. Waist and bottom drawstrings that were caught in cars and buses resulted in dragging incidents.

CPSC first issued guidelines on drawstrings in February 1996. These were then incorporated into a voluntary standard in 1997. Since the clothing industry started following the voluntary standard, deaths involving neck or hood drawstrings  decreased by 75 percent and there have been no deaths associated with waist or bottom drawstrings.

Still, we continue to see jackets, sweatshirts, and sweaters made with drawstrings that are dangerous. CPSC has issued more than 130 recalls involving clothes with drawstrings including 8 recalls between November 2011 and May 8, 2012. Here are some recalls from  just the past month (as of publication of this blog). So, check your child’s upper outerwear and make sure to follow the instructions on these recalls.

While you’re scrambling to pull together fall clothes and school supplies, and sort through your transportation options, be sure to keep a few safety tips in mind:

1. Many schools are now joining the First Lady’s

Let’s Move Initiative

and/or the

Safe Routes program

to encourage walking or biking to school. Whether you’re part of one of these movements or your child already rides a bike or scooter to school, be sure that he/she wears a properly fitted helmet. The helmet should fit snuggly, be flat on top of the head and have a buckled chin strap. It should not move up and down or from side to side. Make sure to replace any helmets that have been in an accident. Helmets only do their job once!

2. Helmets belong on the head when riding a bicycle, but not when playing on a playground. Teach your child to take the helmet off before he or she plays on a playground. Bike helmets can get stuck in openings on playground equipment, causing a child to strangle.

3. One item that doesn’t belong near a child’s neck is a drawstring. So, look closely at your child’s jackets, “hoodies,” or sweatshirts to ensure there are no drawstrings in the upper portion of the garment. You also should take a look at waist or bottom drawstrings on your child’s jackets and other upper clothing. New regulations specify that you shouldn’t be able to see more than 3 inches of the string when the clothes are stretched wide.

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

4. Is soccer your child’s sport? If so, CPSC recommends that soccer coaches, school officials and soccer field maintenance personnel anchor goals to the ground so they do not fall over and cause a serious injury or death.

This “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” bracelet manufactured by Buy-Rite Designs of Freehold, N.J., has high levels of cadmium and should be thrown away.

Hey, Mom! Take those “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” brand children’s Christmas and winter-themed bracelets away from your kids and throw them away.

That’s the latest safety alert from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The charms on the bracelets tested with very high levels of cadmium.

The bracelets, which were sold at dollar stores nationwide, were flagged by the Associated Press in a January story about cadmium in children’s jewelry products.

These bracelets are the second round of children’s metal jewelry recalled by CPSC because of high levels of cadmium. The first was a recall of two “Princess and the Frog” necklaces.

CPSC reiterates that parents and caregivers should not allow young children to be given or to play with cheap metal jewelry, especially when they are unsupervised. Swallowing, sucking on or chewing a metal charm or necklace could result in exposure to lead, cadmium or other heavy metals, which are known to be toxic at certain levels of exposure.

Buy-Rite Designs of Freehold, N.J., The company that made the Rudolph bracelets, has gone out of business. Sorry, no refund.

This Bumble Snowman bracelet manufactured by Buy-Rite Designs of Freehold, N.J., has high levels of cadmium and should be thrown away.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, importer FAF Inc. is recalling 55,000 children’s metal necklaces that were sold at Walmart from November 2009 through January 2010 for $5.

The recalled jewelry is shaped as a metal crown or frog pendant on a metal link chain necklace in a crown-hinged box, and were sold with the words “The Princess and the Frog” on the packaging. The model numbers and UPC codes on the packaging are as follows:

• Crown: Model # 4616-4191, UPC # 72783367144
• Frog: Model # 4616-4190, UPC # 72783367147

Earlier this month, Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum urged parents, grandparents and caregivers to take cheap metal jewelry away from children who will swallow, suck or chew on it. Parents can throw any other cheap metal jewelry away in the regular trash.

This recall is part of CPSC’s continuous work to remove hazardous products through the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.

Parents who have concerns about children swallowing these products are advised to consult with their pediatricians. For more information on cadmium and its health effects, The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry has a Q&A available online.

In March 2006, a tragic incident occurred which had a significant impact on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Jarnell Brown, a 4-year old boy from Minneapolis, Minn., swallowed a metal charm that was nearly pure lead. He sadly died four days later. Since 2004, our agency has conducted more than 50 recalls of more than 180 million units of metal jewelry because it contained a hazardous amount of lead. Since August 2009, it has been illegal to produce a piece of children’s metal jewelry with more than 300 parts per million of lead.

Now we hear about cadmium in jewelry. This is unacceptable. Just this week, I sent a clear message warning manufacturers against the use of heavy metals, “especially cadmium,” in a keynote speech that was delivered Tuesday at the APEC Toy Safety Initiative/Dialogue in Hong Kong.

Because of these recent developments, I have a message for parents, grandparents and caregivers: Do not allow young children to be given or to play with cheap metal jewelry, especially when they are unsupervised.

We have proof that lead in children’s jewelry is dangerous and was pervasive in the marketplace. To prevent young children from possibly being exposed to lead, cadmium or any other hazardous heavy metal, take the jewelry away.

We are moving swiftly to stop the replacement of lead with cadmium and other hazardous heavy metals in children’s products imported from China. We are also actively investigating the jewelry cited in the recent AP story and will inform parents and consumers quickly of any actions we take as a result of our efforts. Our investigation is squarely focused on ensuring the safety of children.

It is very difficult for a parent to determine if an item contains harmful levels of a metal in a specific item except by checking recalls listed on the CPSC Web site. Parents should know that swallowing, sucking on or chewing a metal charm or necklace could result in exposure to lead, cadmium or other heavy metals, which are known to be toxic at certain levels of exposure.

We are working to take decisive action at CPSC, using the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, a law aimed at keeping kids safe from toxic chemicals and metals.

The key message that I want parents to know is: We will act to protect young children, but take the metal jewelry away from children who will swallow, suck or chew on it while our work continues.

Update, Jan. 2012:  Parents and consumers should be aware that ASTM International, a respected standards setting organization, approved a new, voluntary standard for children’s jewelry in December 2011.  The standard establishes limits aimed at keeping cadmium and other toxic metals out of surface coatings and the inside of the children’s jewelry.  CPSC staff was part of this process and CPSC’s scientific research was used in creating the safety standard.

(Read the transcript or watch in Windows Media format. You can also download the video in Adobe Flash or Windows Media format)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is moving swiftly to deal with the replacement of lead with cadmium in certain children’s products imported from China.

In a taped keynote speech to be delivered Tuesday to regulators at the APEC Toy Safety Initiative/Dialogue in Hong Kong, CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum warns against the use of heavy metals, “especially cadmium,” in children’s products. While praising the removal of lead in children’s products, Tenenbaum encouraged manufactures in China to refrain from substituting cadmium, antimony or barium in place of lead.

“All of us should be committed to keeping hazardous or toxic levels of heavy metals out of surface coatings and substrates of toys and children’s products,” she says.

Later on in the speech, Tenenbaum notes that “Voluntary efforts will only take us so far.” She points out that CPSC staff has been working on testing protocols and lab accreditation rules for regulated children’s products. The agency will develop mandatory standards, as needed, to deal with heavy metals in children’s products.

CPSC staff has opened a formal investigation into children’s metal jewelry identified in a recent news story to determine the action CPSC needs to take to keep children safe.