Children’s clothes inflict warns demand for fast
Hospital consultant reveals youngsters
More man-made fibres in children’s clothes are inflicting worse burns than ever before when accidents happen, specialists warn.
A leading surgeon blames increasing use of cut-price material such as polyester for burn injuries getting worse when clothing catches fire.
Shoppers have been buying more and more cheap, imported children’s clothes in recent years, thanks to the rise of bargain brand stores, supermarket ranges and fast-fashion, when cheaper versions of catwalk designs are quickly retooled for the high street. Manufacturers are increasingly using man-made fibres like polyester – which melts and sticks to the skin when on fire – to slash costs. Now Stuart Watson, a lead burns consultant at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, says he is seeing more children with severe burns, and fears cheap clothes are the cause. Mr Watson, said: “While the numbers of patients has not increased, the burns injuries are more severe.
“It’s my impression that children are wearing cheaper clothes which could be more flammable.
“It’s important parents know this and are aware of the dangers.
“Scarring from burns can last a lifetime and treatment can be ongoing for decades.”
Professor Guillermo Rein, of Fire Science at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London, said: “All textiles are flammable to some degree and unfortunately the most flammable are the least expensive to produce.
“Flammable textiles catch fire quickly, even with small ignition sources like candles, and the flames growth is very fast, giving little time to react or seek help. “Clothes made from a combination of cotton and synthetic fibres such as polyester allow flames to spread and melt on to the body, causing searing burns.”
Professor Rein said the use of cheap, flamable materials was largely down to cost.
“Making children’s clothes safer depends on investment in the materials used. “That involves research and because many of the clothes are price-driven, it is not happening.
“It is possible to make safer clothes for children with investment in research.
“It is only right that we invest in the safety of our children.”
The professor, father of two children aged three and five, said: “I check the safety of clothing when I shop for my children and there are many which I do not buy because they are not as safe as I would like.” Around 80 people in Britain are killed each year after their clothing catches on fire.
And unlike in other countries such as the US, there is no mandatory standard on flammability in clothing unless it is children’s nightwear.
Polyester is present in 60% of clothing now with 21 million tonnes used in 2016.
Studies say its use in clothing has more than doubled since 2000 and will reach more than 70m tonnes-ayear by 2030.
Cotton is more combustible than polyester. It ignites easily and burns