CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND RETAIL E-SSENTIALS

Canada: Health Canada updated the children’s sleepwear flammability requirement guidelines

MARCH 2019 - Relevant for: Softlines

In February 2019, Health Canada published the updated policy guidelines¹ for the Children’s Sleepwear Regulations² made under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA). These guidelines provide detailed information about the safety requirements for children's sleepwear, including -

• Flammability requirements for tight-fitting and loose-fitting children's sleepwear, including:

  - Design, dimensional and labelling criteria;

  - Performance criteria and test methods;

• Requirements pertaining to the use of chemical flame retardants.

These guidelines also provide general information on the safety of children's garments, including topics such as drawstrings on children's upper outerwear, small parts and small powerful magnets.

The updated guidelines can be made available by contacting Health Canada Consumer Product Safety Office via email [email protected].

What is children’s sleepwear?

Children’s sleepwear refers to children’s garments in sizes 0 to 14X that are manufactured, imported, advertised or sold for the purpose of sleeping or activities related to going to sleep.

Children’s garments that resemble sleepwear are also considered to be sleepwear, even if they are manufactured, imported, advertised or sold for a purpose other than sleeping or activities related to going to sleep.

Below table provides some examples of children’s sleepwear as well as some exceptions: -

What are the flammability requirements for children’s sleepwear under Children’s Sleepwear Regulations?

What are the loose-fitting and tight-fitting sleepwear?

Loose-fitting sleepwear: Loose-fitting sleepwear refers to loose-fitting garments such as children’s nightgowns, nightshirts, dressing gowns, bathrobes, housecoats, robes, tailored pyjamas and baby-doll pyjamas in sizes up to and including 14X. The term does not apply to garments that meet the design, dimensional and labelling criteria for tight-fitting sleepwear.

Tight-fitting sleepwear: Tight-fitting sleepwear refers to any children’s sleepwear in sizes up to and including 14X, other than loose-fitting sleepwear. It includes sleepwear designed for use in a hospital, sleepwear designed for infants weighing up to 7 kg, polo pyjamas and sleepers that conform to the design, dimensional and labelling criteria set out in the new guidelines.

[1] Children’s sleepwear: Flammability requirement guidelines - Summary

[2] Children’s Sleepwear Regulations