Product safety practices in apparel sector

1. Garments Manufacturing Process

2. Product safety is some set of rules and
regulations to enhance the quality standard
of the product as well as a mechanism to
ensure that no third party damagers using
the product after selling.

3. To enhance the quality of the product.
To minimize third party damages.
To promote the brand name.
To improve sales.
As government requirements.

4. Sharp Tool Control Procedure.
Blade Control Procedure.
Needle Control Procedure.
Button SOP
Metal Detection Procedure.

5. What are Sharp Tools?
Trimmers, Scissors, Pointers, Overclock Pins,
Laying Clips, Metal Golwses.

6.  All Trimmers, Scissors, Pointers, Overlook Pins
should be tied off to the work station.
 All Trimmers, Scissors, Pointers, Overlook
should have numbered.
 Issuing and receiving should done through a
register with users EPF #
 No one is allowed to keep more than one.

7.  No blades is issued to the operator under any
circumstances.
 Blades are stored in the Machine parts stores.
 When a blade is blunt or broken, sectional
recorders will forward an issue note with
signatures of Section Heads and Factory
Manager to machine parts stores to obtain a
new one.

8.  All blunt or broken blades are counted and kept
and make arrangements to dispose in a safe
place at the end of every month by Stores
Manager.
 If some one wants to get a used blade the
requisition should be approved from Factory
Manager and it should be returned to the
stores.

9.  Requirement of all needles for the factory floor
is taken from Spear Parts Stores by a separate
Person who is working Needle Issuing Clark.
 She / He keeps about 30, 50 & 100 Nos. of
needles with that person as a stock depending
on the Consumption of various types of
needles.
 All of these needles are kept under his custody
(locked & key) and he maintains a record for
these items.

10.  Section Mechanics should bring the Machine
ID’s and Operator ID’s to get a new needle for
broken, bent and blunt.
 Section mechanic returns used needles to the
person who is handling needles & get a new.
 All used needles are put into a sealed container
& hand it over to the Stores when the container
Is filled for disposal purposes.

11.  Machine Operator informs to the section
supervisor.
 The supervisor should collect all the parts and
panels of the garment to RED BIN when the
needle was broken.
 Then the section supervisor, Mechanic & the
particular person are searching for the broken
parts of the needle.

12.  If they found all parts mechanic forward it to
relevant person & get a new one.
 The person attaches all parts in a sheet &
writes down all necessary information.
 But if they could not find all parts of the needle
on the machine or in the machine they check
last 7 bundles of sewn paces. Which have been
completed & previous 7 bundles thoroughly.

13.  If they can confirm that the balance
piece/pieces of needle is/are not there, they
have to fill a special form & must be signed by
Machine Operator, Supervisor, Chief Mechanic
& Production Manager.
 Then they have to forward that special form to
needle issuing person & can get a fresh needle
instead.
 All parts of broken needles must be paste on a
separate sheet with the all required details.
(Whether all the parts are found or not)

14.  Particular Machine Operator is taken to
Medical Center.
 If part of the needle is visible, Nurse will try to
take it out.

15.  At the same time line mechanic starts checking
the needle to see whether it is broken and any
part is missing. Whether the Mechanic found
that needle part has not been separated. (i.e.
Needle is not broken) or found that one part of
the needle is not there (i.e. Needle is broken)
he informs the situation to Nurse at the
Medical Center immediately.
 If the needle part has gone inside the finger,
the person is taken to Government Hospital for
treatments, immediately.

16.  No one is allowed to use hand needles in
production areas.
 If some one wants to use a hand needle he or
she is allowed to use it in close by the
mechanical stores.
 If some one get a hand needle with a proper
approval it should be returned to the stores
after the shift.

17. Button SOP (Standard Operation Procedure) is
some set of rules and regulations to ensure the
button attaching is safe and in proper manner to
comply with quality.

19.  The section mechanic should adjust the button
attaching machine according to the
requirement. The passes should not be less
than 16.
 Before starting the production the machine
operator should attach a button to a mockup
and should be recorded.
 After finishing of each bobbin the operator
should follow the same practice.

20.  Each and every button should be under gone
100% inspection by checkers.
 They should confirm that there is rabbit ears
with double knots, no missing stitch, no
skipped stitches.
 Every 02 hours it should be documented.

21.  Only trained operators allowed to operate.

22.  Each and every button should be under gone
100% inspection by checkers.
 They should confirm that there are no exposed
prongs, sharp edges, uneven foundations,
spaces.
 Every 02 hours it should be documented.

23.  Before starting every new style all the buttons
attaching to the garment should be checked for
their strength.
 It should be checked with “Button Pull Test
Machine”
 Normally all button should bearer 17Lbs for
washed garments and 20Lbs non washed
garments.

24.  Every garment should pass through the metal
detector.
 It indicates that if the garment has at least
1.2mm metal part.
 Machine should be calibrated in every 02
hours.