Looking at Safety in Clothing and Apparel for the Holidays

GUANGZHOU, China - Dec. 10, 2015 - PRLog -- It’s that time of the year when many of us choose to take our annual holidays. Whether it’s a new carry-on bag or a suitcase for that special trip abroad or just new flip-flops for the time by the pool, a holiday is often the only excuse needed to indulge in retail therapy. How many of us give thought to the considerations made to ensure that the products are fit for purpose and safe for the consumer to use?  This article considers a few of the safety aspects of some main leather and footwear articles that people come into contact with during an imaginary holiday.

First Step Packing: Luggage Quality and Safety

Before we get to our holiday destination, much preparation will go into deciding what to take and ensuring all the items will fit in our luggage. Most airlines have very strict weight limits for both carry on and checked luggage, therefore, many passengers are opting to maximize how much they place in hand luggage. This may place high levels of strain on critical parts of the bag. Performance specifications have specific tests which ensure the bag will withstand extensive usage.

Next Step: Traveling in Comfort

Once the bags have been filled with items we think we will need for the holiday, we are ready to leave for the airport. Even before we’ve arrived at the holiday destination, there are many touch points where leather safety is critical.

Leather seats in your car, the airport and especially on the plane have all gone through extensive product testing and assessments to ensure safety.

In addition to the high level physical testing required for car seats to last 10 years, they have to have sufficient grip to ensure that a driver or a passenger does not suffer from ‘submarining’ (sliding excessively forward and underneath the view of the windscreen) during rapid braking. This grip has to be balanced with sufficient ability for the user to move comfortably on the seat during transport.

At the airport, seating materials were tested for high level flammability resistance. In public seating areas, it is critical that seats can resist rapid flame spread to enable timely escape from the area of fire and for the emergency services to deal with the issue.

As you move to the plane you may notice that leather is a popular choice for airlines. Leather has been shown to have a lower cost of ownership than corresponding fabric upholstery.

Arrival at the Pool: Holiday Footwear Safety

Once we’ve arrived at our destination, it is likely that we visit the pool or beach first and start to relax. For most of us, the footwear choice is casual beach footwear or flip-flops / pool slides as these are convenient and are designed for extreme wet conditions. Irrespective of the low price point for flip flops, much safety and risk assessment will have gone into ensuring that they can be safely worn. A principle safety test for all footwear and especially for those worn in slippery environments such as wet areas around swimming pools, is the so called slip resistance test.

This test is designed to mimic the action of walking and measures the level of grip between the sole of the footwear and the ground. As holiday environments will often have wet flooring, the test also assesses grip on both dry and wet surfaces such as clay tiles and assesses grip in the heel and toe area of the footwear.

With the simple strap or toe post on flip flops, it is vital that the flip flop does not break during wear and thereby cause injury. Depending on the style of footwear, both of these characteristics can be assessed to ensure suitability.

A Night Out

After a relaxing day by the pool thoughts usually turn to the evening meal and perhaps a night out. Holidays often represent a great opportunity to dress up.

For women’s footwear, the presence of medium to high heels brings its own level of safety concerns to the product design. The stability of the heel, their resistance to repeated knocking and strength of attachment are all aspects that must be rigorously assessed before the shoe can be sold. The heel must be able to carry the weight of the user and be able to withstand walking and even vigorous dancing. Any damage or heel breakage is likely to result in serious injury to the wearer.

About SGS Softlines Services

It is the role of the technologist to ensure that reasonable consideration is given and that the product performs appropriately. SGS has specific and extensive knowledge in all areas of consumer products and is able to offer expert advice and support on leather products and footwear, as well as materials testing services (http://www.sgs.com/en/Consumer-Goods-Retail/Softlines-and...).

For further information, please contact an SGS expert.

Website: http://www.sgs.com/softlines