Safety is the top priority to all the leading apparel brands. To eliminate the accident to the wearer due to the sharp items remaining in a garment, like a broken needle part, brands provide needle policy to their suppliers.
It is therefore mandatory that a Needle Control Procedure is adopted by all apparel manufacturers. It is not only for infant wear and kids wear manufacturers who need to follow the needle policy and each garment need to pass through the needle detector machine prior to packing the garment. Now, this becomes a discipline of the garment factory and a major component of the factory compliance checklist.
Here I am sharing two documents found on the internet for referring to the broken needle policy and sharp items and tools control policy.
1. Broken Needle Policy and Procedure by Li & Fung (Trading) Ltd. This document is uploaded on Scribd.
2. Needle & Metal Contamination Policy Guidelines by The Warehouse Group – This document shows some examples of customer complaints received by email and published complaints on the social platform.
It is therefore mandatory that a Needle Control Procedure is adopted by all apparel manufacturers. It is not only for infant wear and kids wear manufacturers who need to follow the needle policy and each garment need to pass through the needle detector machine prior to packing the garment. Now, this becomes a discipline of the garment factory and a major component of the factory compliance checklist.
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| Broken needle record register (filled). Source: TWG |
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| Blank format for Broken needle record (Source: Scribd) |
What does the broken needle policy mean?
Normally, the broken needle policy covers the following details- how to keep a record of each needle purchased by a garment factory
- how to keep a record of broken needles (See the format for broken needle record)
- who should be responsible for implementing, managing the needle policy in a factory?
- needle replacement guides,
- needle issue policy when need to replace a broken needle and responsibility of needle replacement on the shop floor
- action needs to be taken if you don't find all broken part of a broken needle
What steps are taken by garment factories
- Needle and metal procurement policy
- Needle issue guidelines
- Broken needle record – They keep records of all broken needle in a register
- Maintain a Red box (Carton) for depositing broken metals parts
- Metal detector machine
The risk of not controlling broken needle and sharp tools
- Failure of product safety and end-consumers safety policy
- Safety of the sewing operators and other employees working on the shop floor
- Safe working place
- Failure in compliance policy
Resources
In this post, I have not written the guide for the broken needle policy. Instead, I suggest you follow your buyer's needle and sharp metal control policy. The broken needle policy guide is easily available with your buyer and buying-house. You need to implement it as per guideline and maintain the record as suggested by the buyer’s guideline.Here I am sharing two documents found on the internet for referring to the broken needle policy and sharp items and tools control policy.
1. Broken Needle Policy and Procedure by Li & Fung (Trading) Ltd. This document is uploaded on Scribd.
2. Needle & Metal Contamination Policy Guidelines by The Warehouse Group – This document shows some examples of customer complaints received by email and published complaints on the social platform.