Manufacturers and retailers of these products will already be familiar with the BPA Code of Practice, developed by the Baby Products Association to provide guidance on safety aspects of these products.

BSI has developed a safety standard for these products and this has now been published as "BS 8510:2009 Child use and care articles - Safety of children's sleep bags - Safety requirements and test methods". This standard takes precedence over the BPA Code of Practice for assessing safety issues under the General Product Safety Directive.

What products does the standard cover?

The scope of the standard covers safety requirements for "sleep bags for the use of children with a minimum weight of 4kg designed to provide sufficient warmth so as to remove the need for additional bedding when sleeping in a cot or similar product in which a child is contained".

What products are excluded?

It specifically states that it does not apply to garments with sleeves and feet, or to products designed for outdoor use or to keep children warm in a pushchair, nor to sleeping bags covered by EN13537.

What is included in the standard?

Key area covered by the standard includes:

• Chemical hazards
• Thermal hazards
• Mechanical hazards

Chemical hazards include heavy metals and formaldehyde.

Thermal hazards include flammability and a test to establish the thermal resistance ("tog value") of the product.

Mechanical hazards include, amongst others, entrapment, strangulation and security of attachment tests to establish possible choking hazards.
The Standard also gives clear guidance on what marking and warnings should be made available on the product at the point of sale.

A full copy of the standard may be purchased from BSI Customer Services +44(0) 20 8996 9001 or go to www.bsi-global.com

For more information about product safety, you may ask Intertek expert by filling in this enquiry form.