The Safety Slouch was developed by PSW in response to concerns that hat straps could potentially choke or cut children when caught or pulled in the playground.

The cord of the new Safety Slouch hat features a quick release clip, which detaches under 2-3 kilograms of pressure to prevent playground accidents and avoid unintentional injury.

According to Mr Anthony Sterpin, Managing Director PSW, the Safety Slouch is a welcome development at a time when every Australian child must wear a hat at school under the ‘no hat no play’ policy, which is designed to protect against the sun.

"There had been some concern that while hats protect against the sun, inflexible hat straps could potentially harm our children in other ways, This is what we set out to address with the Safety Slouch," says Mr Sterpin. "The Safety Slouch is a great solution for protecting children against both the sun and from potential injuries that may be caused from hat straps that don’t release under pressure."

Mr Sterpin says that PSW knew it was time to take action when it heard that some parents were cutting the straps from their children’s hats.

"By cutting off straps, the hat may not sit properly or parents may be faced with having to purchase multiple hats if it falls off the child and is lost," says Mr Sterpin. "This also creates scenarios where hats may fly off in the wind, for example, and children chase them onto the road as they would a bouncing ball."

The Safety Slouch is the only hat in Australia to feature the special quick release clip and is available exclusively from PSW.

Parents can purchase the Safety Slouch online at www.psw.com.au or visit a PSW retail outlet in Cheltenham or Glen Waverley.

PSW began in Melbourne 16 years ago and is one of Australia’s largest suppliers of primary and secondary school uniforms.

Innovative products like the Safety Slouch are designed to meet the company’s philosophy of ‘putting smiles on kids’ faces’.