[Muttster]

A company we do contract printing for has recently requested some documents from us concerning our inks:

1) General Conformity Certificate (GCC) on your Company letterhead. (This should state that the inks you use are compliant with CPSIA requirements and upon request, be able to provide the testing for the inks. Also, include a statement that you are able to comply with secondary labeling for children’s apparel.

2) Product Safety Documents (Position letter with contact person/contact information identified, description of how you handle labeling and CPSI – List of current products that have been evaluated and tested by CPSC approved 3rd party laboratories)

They say they now require that all youth shirts have a secondary label printed on the inside of the shirt stating the inks are compliant. They say this a government regulation.

Has anyone else heard of this? I have been in the industry for quite awhile and have never run across this. We do city/state/county purchase orders frequently and have never been asked to do this.

Was just wondering if maybe the client has misunderstood the regulation? Maybe applies to discharge printing? If you have any info on this it is greatly appreciated.

 

[ETA]

We don't print youth shirts, but from what I understand these are actual regulations (and are more and more strictly enforced recently.) There are a few topics that have been posted regarding this and there seems to have been wide debate, as many choose to just overlook such regulations...If you can dig up any of those old topics, I remember there being some interesting links about it. I wish I could remember off the top of my head where to find them.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will post expanding upon this, but I don't think they are misleading you in any way. I do recall regulations like that existing.

 

[charles95405]

These are requirements from US government. It is not new. This had been bubbling for a couple of years and enforcing has been stepped up recently. Here is a link to start
Tracking Label Requirement for Children's Products | CPSC.gov

Because of this I stopped doing anything for the 12 and under age group. I offer this not as legal advice but a suggestion you review the requirements. The link above should not be your only read. There's are several threads on the forum on this topic. and a lot more on the net.

 

[Kiri Katz Tz]

These are requirements from US government. It is not new. This had been bubbling for a couple of years and enforcing has been stepped up recently. Here is a link to start
Tracking Label Requirement for Children's Products | CPSC.gov

Because of this I stopped doing anything for the 12 and under age group. I offer this not as legal advice but a suggestion you review the requirements. The link above should not be your only read. There's are several threads on the forum on this topic. and a lot more on the net.

Thank you for the information.

 

[Ripcord]

I don't know about the first two, but the youth requirements came into law about five years ago. The shirts need a permanent (printed) label, not a sticker or a tag and they need to say who printed them, what date, where you are and a way of contacting you as well as a lot number. You should begin keeping a list of your inks and the corresponding batch numbers. I print my initials, my zip code and phone number, the date, and a lot number.

For light colored shirts I use a rubber stamp and for darks I screen it on. In the past I've incorporated it into the design but I was never happy with it so I started putting it inside near the back hem.

I haven't heard of any screen printer getting in trouble for not doing it. I believe the law was directed more toward toy manufacturers that in the past have used poisonous paints, etc. The purpose of the law is so that if parents are concerned about a product they can get in touch with the manufacturer for information.