Drawstrings– CPSC Guidelines on Drawstrings

Drawstrings are the long threads of material that has been cased and it is used to close different types of upper and lower clothings. Drawstring clothing includes jackets, hoods of the jackets, pants, sweatshirts, skirts. In the waistline garments drawstrings are used in place of elastics and in the upper garments it is used in the hood of the jackets. Drawstring Jackets have these threads in the hood and lower waist area. Also the sports pants, jogging suits and medical pants have the drawstrings.

The drawstring clothing can have either visible or hidden drawstrings. Many types of narrow fabrics can be used as drawstring like cords, leather strings and braids.

Most of the kids clothing has the drawstrings that need manufacturers as well as your attention. If any of the upper or lower clothe of your kid has a drawstring then it can be dangerous as it can hurt or even kill the child. Drawstring clothing get entangled in the school bus doors or handrails, crib, or in playground leading to the severe loss.

US Consumer Product Safety Commission in the period of January 1985 – January 1999 had received 22 cases of death and 18 cases of non-fatal incidents because of the entangling of drawstring jackets or other drawstring clothing. We must take this very seriously in order to protect our kids from this unforeseen danger.

CPSC Guidelines on Drawstrings

CPSC is the US Consumer Product Safety Commission that protects the consumers from unjustified risks that can lead to injury or death. CPSC ensures the safety of the consumer products. With CPSC guidelines there have been seen noticeable improvement in injuries caused by various consumer products. 30 decline in the death rate and injuries have been seen because of the CPSC guidelines.

CPSC has given its guidelines on drawstrings in February 1996 to protect the children from risk of getting injured or dieing because of the entangling of this thread in school bus, playground, slides or cribs. From the safety point of view, a letter was issued to the manufacturers, retailers and importers of kids’s upper outwear garments on May 19, 2006 stating that certain garments must not have any drawstring that can lead to strangulation.

• As per CPSC guidelines any drawstring jacket or sweatshirt of size 2T to 12 must not have a drawstring in hood. If it is there then parents or caregiver must remove that. Even the small drawstrings can get entangled leading to strangulations.
• Parents should buy the hooded jackets that have snaps, buttons, velcro or elastic instead of drawstring. These are good alternative to drawstring jackets.
  
• The length of a drawstring from the point of its visibility in the garment having size 2T to 16 must not more more than 3 inch if extended fully.
• Drawstring clothing on the waist part must be sewn in the middle with the cloth so that it cannot be pulled to one side if it gets entangled in the bus or other thing.
• According to CPSC guidelines for drawstring clothing, parents and manufactures must remover the knot or toggles at the end of drawstrings.

All the parents, manufacturers and producer of kids clothings must understand and follow the CPSC guidelines on drawstrings in order to protect their kids.