CEN/TR 16512 Children's Use and Care Products - Safety Principles for Child Carrier Slings

The “CEN/TR 16512 Child care and handling products - Safety principles for child carriers” standard, a technical specification developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), describes the principles for a product designed for carrying a child solely on the caregiver's body, without integrated openings for the child's limbs, and allowing the caregiver to keep their hands free while standing or walking.

An integrated leg opening is an opening for the child's legs when the product is attached to the caregiver's torso. The leg opening created when the caregiver puts on the product is not an integrated opening. Furthermore, child carrier slings are not covered under EN 13209-1 and EN 13209-2 standards.

The CEN/TR 16512 standard identifies common risks associated with infant carriers and offers recommendations for mitigating them:

Chemical hazards: Harmful toxic chemicals can enter a child's body through ingestion and inhalation. Detailed information about chemical hazards and their risks to young children can be found in the CEN/TR 13387 standard. The chemical hazards and risks of a baby carrier are very similar to those of soft carriers. The EN 13209-2 standard addresses the dangers of a child ingesting harmful chemicals.
Thermal hazards: Thermal hazards include the risk of flammability, the combustion properties of materials, and the risk of overheating (hypothermia) or exposure to very low temperatures (hypothermia) in a child. Because slings may be used by caregivers indoors and outdoors, possibly near open flames, the flammability and combustion properties of the materials used in the slings must be checked.
Choking and swallowing hazards: Both choking and swallowing hazards can occur if a child puts small objects in their mouth and tries to swallow them, or actually swallows them. Choking occurs when a child's internal airways are blocked and breathing is prevented. This is a serious danger because air cannot reach the child's lungs, and irreversible brain damage can occur.

Swallowing small objects that pass into a child's stomach can cause internal blockages. It is preferable to avoid using small objects attached to a hanger whenever possible. However, if small objects must be used, they should be securely attached to the product and should not be likely to detach or break into small pieces.

Risk of fingers getting caught in the mesh: If a child's finger gets caught in an opening, blood flow to the finger may be reduced. The slings should be designed to eliminate openings in the mesh where fingers could get trapped.
Entanglement hazards: Choking can occur if a child becomes entangled in a product. The length of any cords, ribbons, or similar items should be limited so that they do not wrap around a child's neck.
Choking hazards: If a child's lungs cannot receive air, irreversible brain damage can occur. Choking can also occur if a child's external airways, meaning both the nose and mouth, are blocked simultaneously. This can happen if the child's face comes into contact with a material through which air cannot pass.
Structural integrity: It is important that no part of the sling weakens during use and that it always holds the child securely.

The CEN/TR 16512 standard describes the requirements for all these hazards and provides test methods.

The CEN/TR 16512 standard provides non-mandatory guidance to help manufacturers, regulators and testers assess and improve the safety of infant carriers (soft fabric carriers designed to keep infants and young children close to the caregiver's body). Unlike European standards (EN) which are essentially harmonized and support EU legislation, a technical report (TR) offers advisory information based on current knowledge and best practices, addressing potential hazards in increasingly popular products.

The CEN/TR 16512 standard applies specifically to child carrier slings defined as follows:

Products designed for carrying a child on the caregiver's body.
Products without integrated leg openings (pre-created openings in the fabric for the child's legs before attaching to the caregiver).
Products designed for hands-free use while standing or walking.

These are typically flexible fabric carriers that only create leg openings when wrapped around the caregiver and child (e.g., long wraps or pouch-style carriers). Framed carriers, soft-structured carriers with fixed leg holes, or backpack-style carriers are excluded.

This standard includes recommended test methods, drawing upon relevant standards, such as the following:

CEN/TR 13387 (General guidelines for the safety of child care products).
EN 13209 standard series (for baby carriers).
EN 71 standard series (for toy safety, mechanical and chemical testing).

Examples include using test masses, dynamometers, and body dummies to simulate real-world use scenarios.

This standard emphasizes clear instructions, warnings, and markings such as the following:

Age/weight limits.
Proper positioning guide.
Warnings about drowning risks and monitoring.

Baby carriers promote bonding and ease, but the misuse of slings has led to safety concerns, including rare but serious suffocation incidents in poorly designed or improperly used products. The CEN/TR 16512 standard helps close gaps in regulations for flexible slings and promotes safer designs. While not legally binding, compliance warrants due diligence and is often referenced in product testing or certification. Manufacturers can voluntarily comply with such standards.

For many years, our organization, with its competent and experienced staff, has been understanding the needs of its customers, providing the advanced testing services they require, and assisting them in the establishment, implementation, and improvement of management systems. Within this framework, we also provide testing services to businesses in accordance with the "CEN/TR 16512 Child care products - Safety principles for child carriers" standard.