SINGAPORE - About one in four children's clothing items sold in stores here does not meet safety requirements, according to a warning issued by Spring Singapore yesterday.

After testing 110 samples of clothing for any danger of strangulation and entrapment posed by their cords and drawstrings, Spring found 28 that did not meet standards.

Spring said in a statement: "Some had cords and drawstrings at the neck and hood area, while some cords and sashes were too long and might get entangled or caught in furniture or doors."

Some of the items included sweaters, shorts and hooded jackets with drawstrings. The full list of products which did not meet safety standards can be found at www.spring.gov.sg/children_apparel Spring, which is an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, oversees the safety of general consumer goods here.

It has instructed the companies which supply the products to stop selling them, and the products have been removed from shelves.

Spring said that, so far, there have been no reports of incidents here involving cords and drawstrings in children's clothing. However, it reminded suppliers to "take responsibility and ensure that the products they supply are safe".

Spring said it conducted a briefing recently to help suppliers better understand the safety requirements for children's apparel, and to reiterate the importance of supplying safe products.

Safety tips are available on Spring's website, and consumers can find the latest safety alerts, advisories and tips at www.spring.gov.sg/productsafety

Consumers can contact Spring to report unsafe products or make inquiries by calling 1800-773-3163, or via e-mail at [email protected]

Anyone who continues to supply unsafe products may be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to two years, or both.

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