Safety

Next Safety Statement

Next is committed to providing quality products with the help of its Suppliers. Part of this commitment to quality is a
commitment to ensuring that our products are safe for the customer. This is important for two reasons:

 Next believes that a commitment to customer service is an essential part of the continued development and
growth of Next. Safe, quality products are a vital part of providing this service.

 Failure to provide safe products can have severe consequences, in respect of:

 Civil proceedings for negligence and breach of statutory duty should any injuries result from an unsafe
product.

 Criminal proceedings for contravention of the Consumer Protection Act 1987.

These are risks for both Next and its Suppliers.

The information contained within this chapter must be considered in light of the ‘general safety requirement’. This is
the principle, set down in the Consumer Protection Act and amended by the General Product Safety Regulations
2005, that no manufacturer must place a product on the market unless it is safe, with regard to all circumstances
including:

 The characteristics of the product, including composition, packaging, instructions for assembly and maintenance.

 Its effect on other products where it is reasonably foreseeable that it will be used with other products.

 The presentation of the product, including labelling and instructions for use and disposal.

 Categories of consumer at serious risk when using the product, in particular children.

In short:

PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED FOR NEXT MUST BE SAFE TO WEAR OR USE AND MUST ADHERE TO ALL
APPLICABLE LEGISLATION.

Together, Next and its Suppliers must continue to improve standards of safety in all products, as this will benefit the
Customer, Next and its Suppliers alike.

Legislation and Related Safety Issues

The Consumer Protection Act 1987 makes it a criminal offence to supply consumer goods that fail to comply with the
general safety requirement.

Next has a responsibility to protect its customers from risk, injury or harm form the products its sells. It is essential,
therefore, that all Next products comply with this requirement.

One means of deciding whether they do so, is to assess whether they comply with all standards of safety published in
relation to those goods.

The following pages outline the MINIMUM requirements Suppliers must follow to comply with this safety legislation.
However, it is recommended that you check the legislation and take advice from appropriate bodies including
Trading Standards and Accredited Test Houses to ensure that you are up to date with all developments.

IT IS THE SUPPLIER’S CONTRACTUAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT ALL PRODUCTS ARE SAFE.
NEXT RESERVES ITS CONTRACTUAL RIGHT TO FINE SUPPLIERS WHO DELIVER UNSAFE PRODUCTS - £5000
FOR EACH NON-COMPLIANT PRODUCT.

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Safety Requirements in the Factory

Suppliers must ensure that products delivered to Next contain no extraneous metal objects such as broken needle
pieces, pins, clips, blades or staples.

Next reserves the right to levy a fine for each item found to contain an extraneous metal item. Next will also claim
from its suppliers all reasonable sums paid to end users of the products, by way of damages or compensation.
Therefore it is of paramount importance that all suppliers put in place the necessary procedures to prevent such an
occurrence.

The procedures detailed are recommendations that have been found to be satisfactory in many production
environments. However each supplier should satisfy themselves that these procedures are suitable and where
necessary introduce those that may be more appropriate.

Manufacturers must NOT introduce any metal objects into the manufacturing area unless essential for production
purposes.

 The use of pins, staples, clips, snap blades and razor blades is STRICTLY PROHIBITED, throughout the
manufacturing process.

 All finished products delivered to Next must pass through a conveyorised metal detector. Click here to view the
Metal Detection section for details.

 Sewing machine draws to be removed to eliminate the storage of unnecessary sewing tools i.e. needles.

A Safety Audit Check List has been compiled for Suppliers, Click here to view.

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Broken Needle Procedure

Next requires all of its Suppliers to implement a broken needle procedure within each of its manufacturing units.

It is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE and a breach of your contract with Next, for any garment to be delivered to Next with
a piece of broken sewing needle either loose or embedded within the garment. By following a formal broken needle
procedure in conjunction with a metal detection procedure, the Supplier can ensure that this never happens.

 All spare needles must be held in a secure location with limited access. It is unacceptable for extra needles to be
kept by the operatives.
 Replacement needles must only be issued by the supervisor, on a one new needle for one complete old needle
basis.
 Records of ALL broken needle incidents should be kept, including the following information:

 Date of incident
 Style No.
 Operative's name
 Machine details
 Action taken, if all parts not found
 Signature of Supervisor who issued new needle

 Broken Needle Records are colour coded as follows:

 Green ~ To be used for replacement needles (used needles should not be mounted but disposed of in
sharp bins.)
 Amber ~ To be used when all parts of the broken needle can be found.
 Red ~ To be used when all parts of the broken needle CANNOT be found.
A copy of the Broken Needle Record Sheet can be found by clicking here.

 When a needle has broken the needle pieces must be mounted on to the record with clear adhesive tape. Each
incident should be logged separately at the time of issuing a new needle.

If all of the pieces of the needle are not found quickly, the garment being worked on plus all those in the surrounding
area must be placed in a designated, clearly marked contamination bin and moved to a clear area to conduct a more
thorough search. All broken needle searches should be supervised by first line management. A hand held metal
detector or magnet may be used at this stage to assist in finding the needle pieces.

The conveyor metal detector should be used to inspect all components and products in the vicinity of the needle
breakage. If the component does not pass through the metal detector and the broken needle pieces cannot be
found, the product/component should be cut up into smaller pieces to locate the contaminant.

IF THE PRODUCT DOES NOT PASS THROUGH THE DETECTOR, IT MUST BE DESTROYED.

Mechanics must be fully aware of the needle replacement policy and ensure that no spare needles are left in the
sewing room.

Broken Needle Records must be kept in a secure location, away from the production area for at least 3 years.

Replacement Needle Procedure

This procedure covers the issue of replacement needles, where the needle to be replaced is not broken, but merely
worn, or it is to be replaced as a result of a style change, e.g. changing from sharp to ball point needles.
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 All spare needles must be held in a secure location with limited access. It is unacceptable for extra needles
to be kept by the operatives.
 Replacement needles must only be issued by the supervisor, on a one new needle for one complete old
needle basis.
 All needle changes to be logged. Records to include the following information:

 Date
 Style No.
 Number of old needles returned
 Number of new needles issued
 Signature of Supervisor

 Needles should be disposed of in a sealed container, as soon as they are removed from the machine. (A tin
or jar with a hole in the lid is an ideal container for disposal.)
 It is not necessary to mount whole needles within records.

Needle Replacement Records must be kept in a secure location for at least 3 years.

Hand Sewing and Other Needles

All other needles including hand sewing needles, latch needles and kimball needles must be controlled and included
in the Broken or Replacement Needle Procedures.

 New needles must be stored in a secure location.

 Spare needles must NOT be kept by the operative.
 The number of needles issued should be limited to those needed for the job only.
 Provide pin cushions and boxes, for the needles to be placed when not in use.
 These items should be logged in and out daily by a responsible person.

Logging and Auditing Procedure

Where potentially hazardous items are required for production e.g. scissors, knives, they should be logged daily. The
principle of logging and auditing is that a responsible person checks and signs that all tools, etc (including spares) are
controlled and can be accounted for.

In large establishments, consideration should be given to the number of tools and areas that any one responsible
person can be expected to verify and so in some cases this role may need to be shared.

An example of a Tool Log Sheet can be found by clicking here. The log should include:

 Date
 Area (e.g. Cutting Room)
 Number issued
 Number returned
 Signature of Supervisor or responsible person

Records should be kept for a minimum of 3 years.

Pins and Staples

Pins and staples must not be used in any production area. The following should be implemented to eliminate the
need for pins in the production environment:

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 Fabric Selvedge Markers ~ All fabric selvedge marking to be with yarns or plastic tags. Please ensure all
fabric suppliers are aware that staples or metal wires must not be used.

 Markers / Patterns ~ Pins must not be used to hold marker to top ply of lay. Use iron-on adhesive paper,
sticky tape, weights or clamps as alternatives. Pins must not be used to secure pattern pieces used in
production.

 Stripe / Check Blocking ~ Block or table mounted pins must be used when blocking stripes and checks. Large
pins / spikes must be counted and logged daily.

 Trimmings ~ Trimmings supplied on rolls and reels, e.g. elastic, lace or braids. must be secured at the end by
sticky tape, or alternative metal free method e.g. cellophane wrapped or slip knotted. If trimmings are
supplied with pins, then these must be removed before the reels are taken into the production environment.

 Staples / Paperclips ~ Staples are only acceptable in paperwork used in an office environment. It is NOT
acceptable to use staples in paperwork destined for the production floor. Paperwork used in production
should be held together with plastic clips, tape or metal free alternatives.

 Drawing Pins ~ Notices and posters should be secured to boards or walls with sticky tape, ‘blue-tack’ or
metal free alternative. Drawing pins must not be used.

 Packaging Pins ~ Pins must not be used in packaging of Next product. Where other customers still specify
pins for packing, then all Next product must be segregated to a ‘Pin Free’ packing area.

Scissors and Other Tools

Scissors, clippers, tweezers, unpickers and other tools, must be limited and controlled in the production and final
inspection areas. Where these tools are essential for production the following control procedures must be
implemented.

 Scissors / Clippers ~ Must be secured to the workstation by a cord or alternative method.

 Tweezers, Unpickers and Other Tools ~ Where it is not practical to secure to the workstation, the issue of
tools should be limited and logged in and out daily by responsible person.

 Large Scissors / Shears ~ The issue of large scissors / shears should be limited to those needed for the job.
These should be logged in and out daily by responsible person.

Knives / Blades

Replacement blades to be issued on a ‘one for one’ basis by a responsible person. Damaged or broken blades must
be disposed of in a ‘sharps bin’ or sealed container. On no account should these be disposed of with general rubbish.

Knives and blades must always be appropriate for the intended job, i.e. old cutting knife blades should not be used
for opening boxes. The factory must ensure that they provide adequate tools for the job.

 Razor Blades ~ Must not be used anywhere in the factory environment. This includes production, sampling
and warehousing.

 Snap Blades ~ Must not be used anywhere in the factory environment. This includes production, sampling
and warehousing. The factory must use alternative tools e.g. fixed blade knives.

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Sample Room

Broken and Replacement Needle Procedures must be implemented in the sample room.

Scissors and other tools must be controlled in the sample room. It is not necessary for scissors to be secured in the
sample room. The factory must be able to demonstrate how the items are controlled.

In most cases it should not be necessary to use pins within a design, sample or pattern room. If they are necessary
the numbers should be strictly limited and the pins logged daily.

Maintenance Tools

All maintenance tools e.g. screwdrivers, must be logged and controlled in the production area.

Screws, nails, clips and other small items should be stored away from the production area and carried in a suitable
container until needed.

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Metal Detection

It is possible during manufacture that a product which is either sewn or knitted can become contaminated with
extraneous metal objects such as needles, pins, staples or even scissors.

To enable the manufacturer to minimise the risk of injury caused by such contamination Next require all
manufacturers to have and use a conveyorised metal detector, as part of their standard inspection procedure.

To prevent stray metal objects from becoming incorporated within the product, we require the manufacturing area
to be free from loose needles, pins, staples etc and the Next broken needle policy to be strictly adhered to.

All metal components used for Childrenswear garments must be non-ferrous and metal detector compatible, to
allow 100% metal detection of finished product.

Metal Detector Specification

Conveyorised metal detectors must be used, of a

design that incorporates a balanced magnetic coil
which completely encircles the conveyor belt through
which the product will pass, and where the internal
coil structure is solid-encapsulated within a single shell
metal case. This is the preferred method;

Fig-1: Ferrous 1.0mm Test Card

Next currently works to the 1.0mm Ferrous Test Standard. Any variation to this standard, due to product type,
should be agreed with the relevant Garment Technologist prior to production.

The metal detector must be capable of detecting the Next 1.0mm Ferrous Test Standard at any point within the
metal detector aperture, and in the presence of every garment type. The test card is supplied by Next or an approved
metal detector supplier (click here to view Approved Supplier List).

The metal detector must incorporate fully digital electronics capable of automatically setting up and storing the
signal from garments containing non-ferrous components, allowing the product itself to pass successfully, but
detecting the 1.0mm Ferrous Test Standard on every occasion.

Hand held metal detectors may be used to help locate metal fragments, once the conveyorised metal detector has
already identified the presence of contamination, but should not be used for 100% metal detection inspection

The metal detector should be correctly designed for the environment that it is intended for, so any metal detector
that states it must be positioned away from magnetic field, for example clutch brakes on sewing machines, ceiling
fans and bulky moving metal such as trolleys and fork lift trucks, should not be used.

However other types of metal detectors for example Magnetic metal detection machines or Double headed Magnet
induction machines may be used, please refer to the Positioning of the Metal Detection Equipment section for
further information on these machines.

METAL DETECTOR SUPPLIERS SHOULD BE CONTACTED FOR FURTHER ADVICE

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 Operation and Warning Signals

The metal detector and its conveyor system must be designed such that:

 If metal is detected, or a fault occurs, the conveyor will stop and an audible device will sound to attract the
Supervisor’s attention.
 The conveyor belt can not operate if the metal detector is either turned off or faulty.
 The resetting of the metal detector must be carried out by the Supervisor all times. The on/off key must not
be left in the machine.

Positioning of the Metal Detection Equipment

The metal detector should be positioned past the end of all sewing and finishing stages, and should become the final
operation itself as the products passes through it into a secure packing area, as shown in the diagram below.

Fig-2: A Typical inspection layout using a Balanced-Coil needle detector

In this ‘airport style’ security measure the metal detector aperture creates the only route for the product to pass
through the cut-out in the wall, from one zone to the other.

As an ‘end-of-line’ operation, each individual item should be presented to the metal detector either in the final
packaging, or at least in a polythene bag wrapping. This is to eliminate the risk of re-contamination, which could
happen if the items were scanned loose and unwrapped.

Any time the detector rejects an item the conveyor stops and an alarm should be sounded. The item which is just out
of the detector aperture on the out-feed side is deemed to be the one to have caused the alarm and therefore
contaminated. However it is good practice to sweep all items on the conveyor at that time into the reject bin, before
re-starting the scanning process. This way items in the reject bin can be dealt with more efficiently as a separate
process once all the production batch has been scanned for shipment.

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The above diagram assumes that the metal detector has a ‘belt-return’ type reject mechanism, hence the positioning
of the reject bin to the left hand side of the wall in the Metal Detection Area.

In case of a ‘stop-on-detect’ reject mechanism, the reject bin would have to be placed to the right hand side of the
wall, within the Quarantine Area.

Metal detectors can also be used additionally for in-line inspection of subcontracted parts, such as embroidered
panels. Subcontracted parts should be put through the metal detector before putting back onto the production line.

Other product inspection schemes:

In case of magnet type technology, it is necessary to use two needle detectors in tandem. This is to compensate for
the inherent single-sided nature of their detection coil geometry. This this will improve the detection accuracy by
ensuring any needle fragments, if missed by the first unit, are picked up by the second due to the ‘orientation effect’.

The metal detection process should be laid out as detailed below.

Fig-3: A typical inspection layout using a Magnet Induction type needle detector

Note, it is essential that a pack rotating / flipping device is positioned in between the two machines to ensure that
the product pack changes it’s orientation appropriately, to have the ‘other half’ scanned with the same sensitivity as
the first.

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An alternative to the 2-unit solution is a twin-head machine, as shown below:

Fig-4: A Typical inspection layout using a Double-Headed Magnet Induction type needle detector

 Boxed Garments

Garments must be metal detected as the final operation before boxing. Final inspection, attaching POS and
packaging must have all been completed before the garments are metal detected. By positioning the metal detector
at this point, the manufacturer can be sure that no metal contamination can enter the packaged product.

Metal detecting the complete box or carton is not permitted for the following reasons.
 In order to achieve the required sensitivity of 1.0mm ferrous, a metal detector must have an aperture height
of no more than 127mm
 Many cardboard boxes or cartons contain small traces of ferrous material embedded in the packaging itself,
which will be rejected as contamination by the metal detector.

 Hanging Garments

All Next hangers have a ferrous hook, which will prevent finished hanging product from passing through a metal
detector. Garments must be pressed with swing tickets and kimballs attached, before passing through the metal
detector flat. The garments should be moved to a separate metal free area when they are placed on hanger, bagged
and sealed then despatched.

Usage and Calibration

All Operators of the metal detector must be given the correct training when using and calibrating the metal detector.
It is suggested this is carried out by the supplier of the machine. The metal detector must be fully serviced at least
twice a year.

The belt speed must not be adjusted at any time as this can affect the sensitivity of the metal detector.
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A metal detection record must be maintained to show all styles, contract details and quantities that have been
passed through the metal detector. Records should include:

 Date
 Item Number
 Contract Number
 Quantity Passed
 Quantity Failed
 Comments
 Supervisor Signature

A suggested format for the Metal Detection Record can be found by clicking here. It is recommended that calibration
and contamination records are kept separate to the main metal detection record as detailed below.

 Calibration

Calibration must be checked using the approved test standard, this being the 1.0mm ferrous sphere.

Next recommend the 9 point system is used for calibrating all metal detectors. This will ensure that all areas within
the aperture detect to the required sensitivity. The test sample should be mounted in an opaque plastic tube so that
is passes through all 9 points. The plastic support is required to ensure the test card is positioned correctly at all 9
points within the aperture. No garments are allowed with the 1.0mm ferrous test standard during calibration.

The test standard must be detected at all 9 points otherwise the test is classed as a failure; all tests must be recorded
and logged pass or fail.

All tests should be conducted on the same metal detector setting that the garments are being inspected on.
Separate ‘test settings’ should not be used as these will not produce true results

A printer may be connected to give a hard copy print out of all test results.

See diagram below for all 9 calibration points within the aperture:

Top 7 8 9

Centre 4 5 6

Bottom 1 2 3
--------------------- belt

Where it is known that the needle detector machine is of a Balanced-Coil design, 1-point calibration testing of the
machine may be agreed by discussion and prior agreement with the Next Technologist. In this case the 1.0mm
Ferrous test card should be passed through location #5 only, as indicated in the above diagram, which is the weakest
point inside the detection tunnel for this coil geometry.

 Calibration Frequency

Calibration must be carried out every three hours, and every time the machine is switched on. Metal detectors with
an ‘Automatic Test Reminder’ facility are recommended. A record should be kept of the time and date of the test
and signed by the supervisor. The records should be kept close to the equipment for easy inspection by factory
management and visitors. If on any test, the test sample does not activate the detector, all merchandise processed
since the previous test must be retrieved and re checked.
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A suggested Metal Detector Calibration Record can be found by clicking here. Completed calibration records must be
kept in a secure location away from the production area for a minimum of 3 years.

Action Upon Detection of Metal

 Upon detection the conveyor belt will stop and the contaminated article is to be placed in a clearly
marked contamination bin, to be checked at a later date.
 Rejected product must be inspected to locate the source of contamination. If the contaminant is found
and removed easily, the product can be re-detected and passed as metal free.
 When the contamination cannot be found by visual inspection the product must be cut up and put
through the metal detector in garment parts to find the location of the contamination. This information
should be passed back to the relevant manufacturing area to allow corrective action to be implemented.
If the source of the contamination cannot be found then the product must be destroyed.

Separate contamination records must be maintained, including:

 Date
 Item no
 Contamination found
 Action taken
 Supervisor signature

Click here to view a suggested Metal Detection Contamination Log Sheet, which must be kept in a secure location
away from the production area for a minimum of 3 years.

Metal Detection Issues

In order to guarantee that products supplied to Next are safe, Next recommends that all finished and packed product
is passed through the metal detector as the last operation before packing in cartons. However it is recognised that
there are certain wash techniques and metal trims that do not allow this. In order to minimise the risk of
contamination the following procedures must be followed:

 Multiple Non-Ferrous Trims

Garments with multiple or large non-ferrous components can present metal detection issues. It is important to
present the garment to the metal detector such that the mass of metal is evenly spread. It may be possible to adjust
the settings of the metal detector to allow the garments to pass through the metal detector at the 1.0mm ferrous
sphere setting. These issues must be identified at pre-production stages and discussed with the Next Technologist.

 Detachable Ferrous Trims

Detachable ferrous trims, such as key rings, chains and belts, will not be able to pass through a metal detector.
These garments must be completely finished including attaching the kimball tag and then passed through the metal
detector before attaching the ferrous trim. In a separate metal free area the detachable trims can be attached to the
garment, packed and despatched.

 Attached Ferrous Trims

All metal trims that are attached to childrenswear garments, for example D-rings and stitched on belt buckles must
be non-ferrous, to allow 100% metal detection of finished product. Ferrous metal trims will not be able to pass
through a metal detector and therefore must not be used for childrenswear garments.

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 Garment Washing

Some wash processes such as stone washing, can leave a metallic residue on the fabric, which prevents metal
detection at 1.0mm ferrous setting. It is important that these exceptions are identified at pre-production stage, so
that the following measures can be put in place to ensure the product is delivered safe.

 Pre-washing metal detection ~ All garments must be put through a conveyor metal detector on a 1.0
ferrous sphere setting prior to washing, following the standard metal detection procedure.

 Post washing metal detection ~ All garments must be re-inspected a second time through the metal
detector at 1.8mm ferrous setting. These exceptions must be discussed and agreed with the relevant
Garment Technologist and advice will be given on the setting to be used .

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