Technical Guideline About Drawstrings On Children's Upper Outerwear

A drawstring is a non-retractable cord, ribbon, or tape of any material to pull together parts of upper outerwear to provide for closure. Drawstrings on children’s clothing are hidden hazard that can lead to deaths and injuries when they catch on such items as playground equipment, bus doors, or cribs.

What is the hazard associated with drawstrings?

The drawstrings on children’s upper outerwear can be caught and snagged on other objects causing ‘strangulation’ or ‘entanglement’ and lead to deaths or injuries to the young children. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff is aware of 18 deaths and 38 nonfatal incidents associated with neck/hood drawstrings on children's outerwear between January 1985 and September 2009, involving children 18 months to 10 years of age. The most common incident scenarios involved drawstrings getting entangled on playground slides, where the toggle or knot on the drawstring got caught in a small space or gap at the top of the slide. Incidents also occurred when the long, trailing drawstring at the waist of a jacket was caught on the closed door of a moving school bus.
What are the legal requirements in US on safety specification for drawstrings on children's upper outerwear?

The CPSC has enacted the rule “16 CFR Part 1120 - Substantial product hazard list”2 and according to this rule, children’s upper outerwear with drawstrings is considered to be a "substantial product hazard" if it does not conform to the requirements of the voluntary standard ASTM F1816-97 - Standard Safety Specification for Drawstrings on Children's Upper Outerwear.
[Note: ASTM International withdrawn the old version of the standard ASTM F1816-97 and reinstated new version ‘ASTM F1816-18’ in November 20183. However, the CPSC incorporated the old version of the standard ‘ASTM F1816-97’by reference in the regulation.

What does "upper outerwear" include?

The standard defines "upper outerwear" as "clothing, such as jackets and sweatshirts, generally intended to be worn on the exterior of other garments". This definition excludes underwear and inner layers, but it includes lightweight outerwear that is appropriate for use in warmer climates. Pants, shorts, and skirts which are not intended for the upper portion of the body are excluded from the scope of the standard.

What are the equivalent numerical sizes if garments are labelled with non-numerical size system?

The CPSC provided a guideline in the regulation 16 CFR 1120.3(b)(2)⁴ about the relation between the numerical and non-numerical size system.

See below table for the non-numerical sizes and their equivalent numerical sizes.