Notice of danger to human health or safety and risk mitigation for children’s upper outerwear with drawstrings
Last updated: July 4, 2023
Health Canada's mandate includes helping to protect the public by addressing or preventing dangers to human health or safety posed by consumer products. For that purpose, Health Canada's Consumer Product Safety Program (CPSP) administers and enforces the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) and its regulations.
Danger to human health or safety
Health Canada has assessed the hazards associated with the use of children's upper outerwear with drawstrings. These products may pose a strangulation or vehicular dragging hazard to children.
Based on the danger to human health or safety assessment, Health Canada has determined that certain children's upper outerwear with drawstrings that do not conform to the applicable criteria set out in ASTM F1816-18 – Standard Safety Specification for Drawstrings on Children's Upper Outerwear with modifications (expanded scope) as described in the section on Risk Mitigation, or the equivalent, pose a danger to human health or safety.
Risk mitigation
Based on the information currently available, the ASTM F1816-18 standard (with an expanded scope) sets out criteria that may be sufficient to mitigate the risk of strangulation or vehicular dragging, including:
Drawstrings at the waist and bottom of children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 16, or the equivalent sizes, should:
- not exceed 76.2 mm (3 in.) in length outside the drawstring channel when the garment is expanded to its fullest width;
- have no toggles, knots or other attachments at the free ends; and
- be bartacked (i.e., stitched through the drawstring and channel, usually at the back centre of the channel) if the drawstring is one continuous string.
Children's upper outerwear in sizes newborn to 12 (expanded scope), or the equivalent sizes, should:
- not have drawstrings in the hood and neck area.
You can find additional details about the scope of products affected and the hazard in the danger to human health or safety assessment.
Responsibilities
Manufacturers, importers, advertisers and retailers are reminded that:
- Consumer products that are a danger to human health or safety are prohibited from being manufactured, imported, advertised or sold in Canada according to paragraphs 7(a) and 8(a) of the CCPSA;
- It is the responsibility of industry to ensure that the products they supply to the Canadian market comply with the CCPSA and its regulations;
- Conformance with the identified performance criteria does not mean that the products are fully compliant with the CCPSA;
- Health Canada recognizes that there may be other possible health or safety concerns with the use of these or similar products;
- Industry should review their products for all potential hazards and respond appropriately to make sure they are safe for consumers; and,
- The CPSP operates as a post-market regulatory regime, meaning that there is no pre-market review or approval of consumer products by Health Canada.
Health Canada may take immediate compliance and enforcement actions in line with the Department's compliance and enforcement policy framework when it has reasonable grounds to believe that a consumer product is a danger to human health or safety. Regulated parties that fail to comply voluntarily may be subject to enforcement actions under the CCPSA, which may include seizure, orders to take corrective measures, orders to recall products, administrative monetary penalties, or criminal prosecution.
Health Canada will continue to monitor the situation and may update this Notice and the associated Danger to Human Health or Safety Assessment as warranted.
Information resources
If you require additional information regarding this Notice, visit the resources below or contact a Health Canada Consumer Product Safety Office via email (hc.ccpsa-lcspc.sc@canada.ca) or telephone at 1-866-662-0666 (toll-free within Canada and the United States).
- The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) and its regulations
- Industry Guidance – "Danger to Human Health or Safety" Posed by Consumer Products
- Information for Regulated Parties on the Enforcement Approach for the General Prohibitions under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act
- ASTM F1816-18 – Standard Safety Specification for Drawstrings on Children's Upper Outerwear
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