UKH

Just been to a kids party with the seatbelt system and they had connected the loops where you clip into the chest type harnesses with a mallion. Probs for ease of clipping/speed of changeover but I was just mulling over whether this is that safe under say a cross load? 
 

when taking the young one to the wall I clip the two fabric loops together with the screwgate on the system but was just mulling over whether it’s much more risky to use a mallion???

thoughts?

No

Did they attach the autobelay to the maillon or directly to both loops of the harness. I'll caveat this by saying that I'm assuming your talking about a full body harness of this style https://images.app.goo.gl/15YHAXtVLmCUYEzW8

The maillon may be there for a couple of reasons: firstly when kids are waiting for a shot/walking between climbs the maillon stops the harness coming off. It also allows the instructor to tighten the harness up properly without making it too tight (if you tighten this style of harness too much without something joining the 2 belay loops then trying to attach the autobelay is a nightmare as the loops are too far apart)

2nd reason may be to cover for any human error by the instructor while clipping in. If the instructor only clipped one of the belay loops instead of both then the maillon would mean the harness won't open and let the climber fall out. Probably wouldn't be all that comfortable for the climber but they're unlikely to come to much harm from it.

The carabiners on an autobelay are usually very beefy and held in an upright position as they are fixed to the tape in that orientation. I don't see how it could crossload, and I don't see how it would fail if it did either.

I think OP means the mallion is cross loaded, not the carabiner.

Ah, well I think I'm even less worried about that. A cross loaded mallion is probably stronger than my spine.