The European Commission Mandate No. M/309 The Safety of Consumers: drawstrings or cords on children’s clothing, issued 9 March 2001 requested that CEN develop standards or specifications to consider cords and drawstrings on clothing intended for children up to age 14.
The aim of BS EN 14862:2007 is to minimise the risk of accidental entrapment by cords or drawstrings on children’s clothing taking into account:
a) the child’s age
b) normal behaviour and activities of children for their age and stage of development, for example playing in playgrounds, climbing trees, travelling by 'bus or train, ability to look after themselves, and where relevant, level of supervision
c) national accident statistics indicate that serious accidents involving cords and drawstrings on children’s clothing fall into two main groups by age of child
- younger children: entrapment of hood cords in playground equipment such as slides, resulting in fatalities
- older children and young persons: entrapment of cords and strings from the waist and lower hems of garments in moving vehicles such as bus doors, ski lifts and bicycles resulting in severe injuries or death from being dragged along or run over by the vehicle.
BS EN 14862:2007 specifies requirements for cords and drawstrings for children's clothing, including disguise costumes and skiwear, up to the age of 14 years.