Hong Kong’s Consumer Council Publish Surveillance Reports on Children’s Raincoat and Poncho & School Shoes

Recently, Hong Kong’s Consumer Council published 2 surveillance reports^{1 2} on children's raincoats & ponchos as well as school shoes, during which samples were purchased from the market and tested for physical, chemical, and performance aspects, and a certain percentage of samples were found to have breached, violated and/or exceeded limits set out by European and US standards.

Raincoats / Ponchos

14 models of children’s raincoats and ponchos on the market and found that the cords and drawstrings pose some mechanical and chemical hazards according to safety requirements set out by the European Union (EN 14682:2014 and REACH) & United States (CPSC & CPSIA).

The test covered both physical and chemical safety aspects, including the safety of cords and drawstrings, sharp points and edges, as well as phthalates and heavy metal content. Test results showed that 10 models met all relevant requirements, including the lowest-priced model, indicating that good choices are available across different price ranges.

School Shoes

13 models of children’s school shoes on the market and found that various harmful substances had exceeded limits based on European Union standards, while durability test results had also vastly varied.

The tests conducted covered both chemical safety and physical performance. The chemical safety tests measured levels of chromium VI, phthalates, aromatic amines from azo dyes, formaldehyde, and dimethylfumarate (DMF). The chromium VI and DMF tests were only conducted on models with animal leather. Physical performance test items included flexing durability, adhesion between the shoe upper and sole, outsole abrasion resistance, outsole slip resistance, breaking forces of straps, buckles, and related accessories, as well as sharp points and edges.

How can SGS help?

Wherever you operate in the world, our network of experts and state-of-the-art testing facilities is ready to support you in delivering high-quality, safe, and compliant raingear and footwear products to competitive global markets.  We offer services such as:

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Reference:

1. https://www.consumer.org.hk/en/press-release/p-585-children-raincoats-ponchos
2. https://www.consumer.org.hk/en/press-release/p-586-school-shoes

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