Pajama recall highlights importance of flammability standards

On Behalf of | Jan 26, 2025 | Personal Injury

No one wants to hear that any article of clothing their children wear could be dangerous. However, recalls of children’s clothing – particularly sleepwear – occur more often than most parents would expect, thanks to rigorous safety standards here in the U.S.

For example, recently, Duluth Trading Company recalled its two-piece holiday pajama sets due to potential flammability issues. The pajamas, which are made in Cambodia, come in several different Christmas-themed styles and run from children’s sizes 2 through 7. These were sold in the company’s stores and on its website.

The company is instructing consumers to cut both the top and bottom in half and throw them away. They can send a photo of the cut-up garments to the company for a refund. So far, no burn injuries caused by the pajamas have been reported. However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) takes potential flammability issues very seriously.

What is the Flammable Fabrics Act?

Federal laws, such as the Flammable Fabrics Act, provide standards for children’s sleepwear and “similar or related items, such as robes, intended to be worn primarily for sleeping or activities related to sleeping….” Sleepwear must be flame-resistant and self-extinguishing. There are some exceptions, such as for diapers, underwear, infant garments and other snuggly fitting clothing.

According to the CPSC, these standards were created “in response to reports of children burning themselves from sources such as matches, lighters, candles, ranges, stoves, space heaters, and fireplaces. These incidents occurred at times when children were wearing pajamas – at night and in the early mornings, normally unsupervised.”

Children’s sleepwear must pass federal flammability standards. This involves fabric production unit (FPU) testing of pre-production finished fabric and then garment production unit (GPU) testing of prototypes and a sampling of finished products.

It remains important, however, to look at the tags before buying or putting any sleepwear on a young child. These tags should indicate that the item has been tested and provide any necessary washing instructions for maintaining an item’s flame-resistant properties.

Too often, products aren’t recalled until someone has been seriously injured or worse. When that person is a child, the consequences can be particularly tragic. It is, therefore, not just important to report defective items, but to also determine what kind of legal actions can be taken to get justice and compensation when such harm occurs. Such efforts can help victims to seek justice and place pressure on companies to honor safety standards as they are legally bound to do.