The safety of children’s footwear

Reporting on SATRA’s recent event dedicated to this vital topic.

Footwear is generally not considered to be the kind of product that can cause serious injury or, in extreme cases, even death. However, such risks are not unknown, and ensuring the safety of shoes – especially those intended for children – is of paramount importance, especially to companies in the global supply chain. At a recent workshop held at SATRA’s UK headquarters, personnel from a number of companies discussed this vital topic. This intensive event was an opportunity for SATRA members to really appreciate the key aspects of designing, specifying, manufacturing and distributing footwear.

Each session was led by a SATRA specialist who presented information relevant to these areas of footwear production.

The first part of the programme covered the General Product Safety Directive. The delegates considered risk assessments, the testing of children’s footwear using toy standards, specification, development and an interactive, practical exercise to assess the risk posed by footwear.

‘Safety and health’ was the subject for the second session. This provided an opportunity for participants to discuss physical testing – including slip resistance – as well as an in-depth review of fitting.

The next topic to be considered was REACH and restricted substances. A panel of SATRA specialists outlined the background to legislation covering substances of very high concern (SVCHs), REACH Annex XVII and how to demonstrate compliance. This session also investigated US legislation, including the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) 2008, California Proposition 65 and Chemicals of High Concern to Children (CHCC).

Discolouration, mould, the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) and environmental issues were also discussed during the workshop, as well as allergies, health and safety during manufacturing, and end of life disposal.

SATRA plans to repeat this course, and a similar workshop – specifically on women’s footwear – is to be held later this year. Please visit click here for details of forthcoming seminars and workshops.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 55 of the July/August 2015 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

Other articles from this issue »

---