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AUTUMN 2017 roUNd-Up check your costumes to prevent halloween horror round-uP Incidents of children being severely injured while wearing fancy-dress costumes that readily caught fire and then burned violently have been front-page news in recent years. Perhaps the most high-profile case has been that of Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winklemans daughter Matilda. The eight-year-old suffered serious burns in 2014, when her Halloween witch outfit brushed against a candle and caught fire. Costumes for children under 14 years of age are considered to be toys, and they fall within the scope of the Toys (safety) Regulations 2011. To comply with the regulations, they must not burn if directly exposed to a flame or spark, or must not be readily flammable that is, the flame should go out as soon as the ignition source is removed. If the costumes do ignite, they must burn slowly and present a low rate of spread, or be treated to delay the combustion process. To demonstrate compliance, a manufacturer of childrens fancy-dress costumes can apply BS En71 Part 2, which covers the flammability requirements for toys. Among other factors, the standard is concerned with the rate of flame spread in childrens costumes. It is currently being argued that these requirements are not stringent enough and changes in the law may take place soon. Credit: Murray dewar iStock.com / Mordolff GoCs sights set on contact lenses registered optometrist, a dispensing optician or a medical practitioner. This is to ensure that lenses fit properly, and that wearers receive expert advice on how to wear and store them safely. Cosmetic contact lenses are often made and distributed on a one size fits all basis. They are not tailored to the wearers needs, so can increase the risk of eye-health issues. The GoC recently concluded its consultation into strategies for tackling illegal practices, including the online sale of contact lenses. round-uP The General optical Council (GoC) is aiming to introduce a voluntary code of practice for online contact-lens retailers. It follows a warning from the GOC in 2015 that people were putting their eye health at risk by buying cosmetic contact lenses from non-optical outlets, such as novelty shops or market stalls. The law states that contact lenses must be dispensed under the supervision of a retailers who sign up to its proposed scheme would be awarded a logo to helpthe public recognise them as a regulated supplier. Anyone found to be in breach of the code of practice would have their use of the logo revoked, but details of what further action might be taken are yet to emerge. Credit: Murray dewar iStock.com / Branimir76 For further information please contact your local trading Standards Service