The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today announced it will ask manufacturers of children's sleepwear to stop using coarse or abrasive materials in care labels for these flame-retardant garments.
Members of the Commission's National Advisory Committee for the Flammable Fabrics Act brought the matter to the Commission's attention, voicing concern that labels which might be irritating to children's skin could lead parents to remove the labels from the garments.
Such action would eliminate the manufacturers' care instructions and possibly cause the sleepwear to be improperly laundered, resulting in a loss of flame-retardancy.
In asking industry to take voluntary action, the Commission also announced that the agency will monitor activity underway at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the location of "coarse or abrasive" labels in all garments except children's sleepwear. FTC hearings on the proposed action begin November 8 in Washington, D.C.
CPSC requires that children's sleepwear (sizes 0-14) be flame-retardant. Some of the fabrics used require special care and treatment to maintain flame- retardancy after many washings. The Commission also requires such sleepwear to be "prominently, permanently, conspicuously and legibly labeled with precautionary care and treatment instructions."
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products.
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