Posts Tagged ‘child safety’

“It is a miracle that our generation managed to survive into adulthood without legislation like this,” said a European Commission official, rather dryly.

We were chatting next to a display (see above) of rather harmless and normal looking children’s anoraks displayed as just some of the “dangerous products” seized by EU and national consumer safety officials.

“These items of children’s clothing pose a risk of STRANGULATION due to the presence of drawstrings in the hood area,” said the notice.

Yes. The EU last year acted to tackle the menace posed by laces, cords and belts in clothes placed on the market for children under seven years old. Length restrictions also apply for children up to 14 years old.

Apparently, the banned anorak toggles could get tangled or caught leading to accidental strangulation of children.

In risk-averse Europe, where the EU’s precautionary principle holds sway, this means a ban.

As a small child, my mittens or gloves used to be fixed to long bits of elastic running up the sleeves of my toggled anorak to stop them getting lost. Deadly. A miracle I survived that without the regulators to save me.

“You might think that we are going too far, but that’s not right,” said Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria’s engaging consumer protection commissioner.

Oh yeah?

In Finland, another EU official told me, fixed hoods on any child’s clothing is banned because of the snag and strangulation risk.

Hoods must now be attached to coats or jackets with Velcro or poppers, something else to get lost.

“Yes, you might well say that children have had drawstrings on their hoods for generations but not any more and they will be safer for it,” said the commission SANCO staffer.

In fact – of course – it is the culture of officialdom that has changed and expanded, “better safe than sorry” is now the maxim for regulators and the minimum requirement now expected of parents.

It is no surprise that, in a world where anorak toggles are banned on “elf and safety” grounds, 51 per cent of children aged 7 to 12 years are not allowed to climb a tree without adult supervision.

An ICM poll for Play England last year found that 49 per cent had been stopped from climbing trees altogether because it was considered too dangerous. Perhaps they could fall and their hoods could get caught? After all, you can’t be too safe. Read more>>