The safety of young children is essential to the ENPC, and manufacturing products that do not present a health risk is the aim of our members. Childcare articles are all products designed or intended to safely facilitate seating, bathing, changing and general body care, feeding, sleeping; transportation, and protection for children. Developing child safety requirements into safety standards results in the improved safety of products, constructions and services aimed at children and products which children come into contact with.
ENPC is a liaison partner of the “Child use and care articles” technical committee of the European Standards Organisation which has the mandate for developing standards in the field of consumer safety. A high priority has been given to child safety in the setting up of the internal market; in 1990 the CEN Technical Committee was established and ENPC members have always been actively involved in developing standards within the committee TC 252 as well as TC 207, TC 248, and PC 364.
Children are a vulnerable sector within our society and standards have an important role to provide guidance to the industry for specific safety aspects. Standards are voluntary, but the European Union developed a common approach and a European standard (EN) is automatically transposed at national level to become a national standard. An attentive approach is essential in the nursery industry as some Childcare articles are not harmonised products meaning that they are not covered by an EU specific directive.
ENPC is represented in all working groups in the mandate of TC 252:
- Seating and body care
- Sleeping, relaxation and lying down
- Wheeled transportation
- Early learning and protection
- Feeding, drinking, sucking and similar functions
- General and common safety specifications
- Child seats for cycles – safety requirements and methods