Safety and Standards
Year 10
Revision Lesson
QUALITY ASSURANCE
AND QUALITY CONTROL
IDENTIFYING QUALITY CONTROL
CHECKS
Q.A. means GUARANTEE OF
QUALITY. Companies assure
customers that a product is fit for
purpose and HIGH QUALITY.
Documents are produced showing
the systems used to ensure that
quality is maintained.
IMPLEMENTING these is the
responsibility of EVERYONE working
in the business. This is called
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT.
Q.C. is carried out during manufacture, to
check:
YOU AS DESIGNERS MUST
FREQUENTLY CHECK THE
QUALITY OF YOUR PRODUCT:
•Are seams secure?
As its being designed
•Are there missing stitches?
During manufacture
•Are seams puckered or uneven?
At the end of manufacture
•Are pockets and zips stitched correctly?
SIZE, APPEARANCE, FORM, COLOUR,
FLAMMABILITY AND PERFORMANCE.
Your specifications should contain details of
when and how each QC check needs to be
carried out.
The best time to identify what QC checks are
needed is when you are modelling. At this
point you should have a list of questions, eg:
•Is there needle damage?
•Are components secured?
EVALUATING
DESIGNS
REGULATIONS
You should find out if the
target market likes your
ideas. You could do this by
showing sketches or fabric
samples, then get some
FEEDBACK.
THESE ARE PUT IN PLACE
TO LOOK AFTER CONSUMER
INTERESTS. TO ENSURE
THAT PRODUCTS ARE OF A
GOOD QUALITY AND SAFE
TO USE.
At this stage, you could also
carry out tests to find suitable
materials. However, only
carry out tests if:
Regulations are put in
place by…
They will help you make
decisions about the end
product, i.e. if they are
relevant.
MANUFACTURING
GROUPS-to provide a code
of practice for their
members.
It is a FAIR TEST, i.e.
various fabrics tested in
exactly the same way under
the same conditions.e.g.
The Government, through
ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.
DON’T WASTE TIME!
TECHNICAL TESTS
TECHNICAL TESTS
STANDARDS
LEGISLATION
A STANDARD is an agreed
specification that sets out
PRECISE CRITERIA to
ensure the reliability and
quality of a product or service.
Below are several examples of
regulations that are applied to children’s
textile products:
Standards are regulated by
the BRITISH STANDARDS
INSTITUTION (BSI). In
Europe this is done by the
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE
FOR STANDARDISATION.
Standards are voluntary.
However, some laws and
regulations refer to
certain standards
making them
compulsory.
•Nightwear Safety Regulations, 1985.
•Nightwear Safety (Amendment)
Regulations, 1987.
•Children’s Clothing Regulations, 1994.
•The toy safety Regulations, 1995.
(includes some clothing items, e.g. Bunny
Slippers).
•Food Imitation Regulations, 1989 (e.g.
buttons must not resemble food).
•Code of Practice for the Design and
Manufacture of Children’s Clothing to
Promote Mechanical Safety BS7907,
1997.
•Children’s Clothing (Hood Cord)
Regulations, 1976.
SAFETY STANDARDS
Textile products, and the components in them, have to achieve certain SAFETY
STANDARDS before they can be sold to the public. This means they MUST pass a set
of RIGOROUS TESTS.
For example, under the BS 5867-1:2004 Specification for fabrics for curtains and
drapes, fabrics must pass specific tests for…
Washing, colour fastness (whether they fade), dry cleaning, flammability, dimensional
stability (if they change length or width, during normal use, washing or cleaning) and
wear and tear.
Textiles must also conform to certain labelling requirements.
Manufacturers who meet BSI standards are awarded a KITEMARK. The
BSI KITEMARK shows the consumers that a product has been tested
against nationally recognised standards. The kitemark scheme is an
independent and ongoing assessment process, that ensures standards are
achieved and maintained.
The CONFORMITE EUROPEENNE ‘CE’ SYMBOL is the
manufacturer’s self-declaration that the product MEETS THE
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS from the EU directive to be allowed to be
sold.
SAFETY OF
CHILDREN’S
PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS FOR CHILDREN have
many factors that need to be
considered, including the following:
SAFETY OF OTHER
PRODUCTS
Any product must be safe and easy for the
TARGET MARKET to use. Below are
some examples of health and safety
considerations:
They must not contain materials
that could melt or catch fire.
Does the product need to withstand
extreme temperatures-oven gloves, skiing
clothing?
They must not have any parts or
components that could come loose
and choke or harm a child.
Does the product need to provide
protection from certain elements-tents, UV
protective clothing?
Dyes, paints and inks must not
contain harmful substances or
allergens.
Are there any specific user requirements-if
your product is for the elderly, are
fastenings easy for arthritic hands?
Fastenings must be safe and easy
to use.
Is the fabric strong/durable enough for its
purpose-does the product need to hold
anything with sharp edges, will it be used
for carrying?
HEALTH AND SAFETY
IN THE WORKPLACE
HEALTH AND SAFETY IN
THE CLASSROOM
In industry, a Health and Safety
Officer usually carries out a risk
assessment and then follows these
procedures:
SAFETY PROCEDURES are
controlled by Government Safety
Laws, European Safety Laws, or
other codes of practice such as:
Creates a safety manual
Health and Safety at Work Act,
1974
Installs safety signs at key points,
next to equipment
Creates a code of practice for all
users of equipment
Outlines what safety wear needs to
be used
Ensures that new and existing
employees are fully trained on the
equipment they will be using
Workplace (Health, Safety and
Welfare) Regulations, 1992
The CONTROL OF
SUBSTANCES HAZARDOUS TO
HEALTH (COSHH) Regulations,
2002, protect employees from the
hazards of substances used in
the work place through risk
assessment.
HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE
CLASSROOM
Safety is very important in the classroom.
There should be SAFETY GUIDELINES
that you will need to follow when using
materials, components and equipment.
A RISK ASSESSMENT must always be
carried out before making a product. That
means…
Identifying the equipment and processes
that are needed
Highlighting which equipment and
processes are POTENTIALLY
HAZARDOUS
Putting a plan in place to remove or
reduce each risk, including…
- SAFETY PROCEDURES for using
equipment
- PROTECTIVE CLOTHING requirements
Examples of Safety
Signs...
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