This is in the council, in their own words. Ed
Isle of Wight Council’s trading standards service is advising parents to be sure any fancy dress costumes they buy for their children over the festive period are safe.
According to the EU, there has been an increase in the number of costumes on sale in countries across Europe that do not meet strict laws for safety.
What to look out for
Julie Woodhouse from the council’s trading standards team, says there are a number of things for parents to look out for when buying costumers for their children and also for themselves should they be going to a fancy dress party in the run up to, and during, festive period celebrations.
Julie said:
“If the costume or face-mask has not been properly fire retarded in accordance to a standard called EN71-2, the consequences can be severe. Parents are advised to check the labelling.
“Parents should look out for the CE mark which shows they meet European laws. However, some counterfeit goods try to fake this logo, so check it closely, in particular the letter E as the middle line should be shorter.
“If a product does not have any markings or any safety instructions with it, do not buy it and inform trading standards.
“This does not just apply to children’s costumes, but to adult ones as well, as there are lots of fancy dress parties over Christmas and the new year. Many households will have naked candle flames or open fires and we want everyone to have a great time and not suffer injuries.”
Trading standards officers will be visiting retailers in the lead up to Christmas to advise traders and may, if needed, remove goods from sale which do not meet necessary safety standards.
More details on trading standards are available at www.iwight.com.
Image: tiffany terry under CC BY 2.0
