Mandatory product safety and information standards—full list
A standard can be made mandatory by a trade practices regulation or declared by the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs in a consumer protection notice registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments (FRLI—http://www.comlaw.gov.au/). Consumer protection notices were formerly published in the Commonwealth Gazette.
If an existing voluntary standard is available, such as a published Australian/New Zealand or overseas standard, it is used as the basis for the mandatory standard. The mandatory standard, as declared in the consumer protection notice or regulation, specifies the goods covered or exempted and may vary or delete certain requirements in the published standard.
Suppliers must refer to both the consumer protection notice or regulation and the referenced Australian/New Zealand or overseas standard (if applicable) for details of the requirements of the mandatory standard.
The list below notes (in brackets) the form of each standard. Copies of trade practices regulations and consumer protection notices can be downloaded from the following topics or obtained by calling the ACCC Infocentre on 1300 302 502. (References in brackets give the trade practices regulation or consumer protection notice number and, where relevant, the reference to the published Australian/New Zealand or overseas standard on which the mandatory standard is based.)
Australian/New Zealand or overseas standards may be purchased from SAI Global (Standards Australia) at www.sai-global.com/shop
Copies of relevant trade practices regulations and consumer protection notices are available under each topic listed below:
A range of safety requirements based on a US standard ASTM F977-00. The standard has been introduced to minimise the injury risk to children in walkers falling down stairs or tipping over, as well as specific marking requirements.
Regulations to require basketball rings and backboards to be labelled with a warning about the usage of these products, and thereby reduce the incidence of deaths and serious injuries associated with their misuse.
Instructions for the correct care and maintenance of clothing, household textiles, furnishings, upholstered furniture, bedding, piece goods and yarns; instructions to be accessible at point of sale, in most cases permanently attached; some exclusions apply.
A comprehensive range of performance and other safety requirements for baby capsules, child seats and other restraints. Offers a choice to suppliers of meeting either the 1995, 2000 or 2004 version of AS/NZS 1754, Child restraint systems for use in motor vehicles.
This mandatory safety standard applies to garments sized 00 to 14 and includes a limited range of daywear items. The standard specifies the design, performance and flammability labelling requirements for children's nightwear, including infant sleepbags and limited daywear.
All toys must carry a statement that they are not a life saving device and a warning to only use under supervision in shallow water. Also specifies construction and performance requirements to reduce the risk of drowning due to sudden loss of buoyancy of inflatable toys.
The regulations specify the minimum safety requirements for all hot water bottles (rubber and PVC). These safety requirements are applicable to all hot water bottles manufactured in, or imported into, Australia on or after 1 June 2008.
Specifies critical safety requirements to prevent entrapment, the provision of a restraint harness to prevent falls, the provision of a parking brake and safe-use warning labels. There is also a new requirement for the provision of a tether strap to help carers retain control of prams and strollers.
The mandatory safety standard for manufactured cigarettes reduces the risk of death or injury caused by fires when smouldering cigarettes inadvertently come into contact with flammable materials. The amendment reduces the period during which suppliers of non-complying cigarettes can dispose of their stock from 12 to six months. From 23 Sept 2010 all cigarettes sold in Australia must comply with the mandatory standard, irrespective of their date of manufacture or importation.
Retail packages of tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and cut tobacco for rolling cigarettes must carry health warnings and corresponding explanatory messages. Cigarette packages must also carry information messages.
Toys suitable for children aged up to and including 36 months (not just those marked as such) must not contain any small parts that may be a choking hazard, nor produce any small parts when put through a range of tests which simulate normal use and abuse. The mandatory standard has been extended and now specifies additional testing for other items such as small balls, pompoms attached to toys and preschool play figures.
This mandatory standard adopts and varies the Australian Standards for toys AS/NZS ISO 8124.3:2003 published by Standards Australia on 23 May 2003 and AS 8124.7-2003 published by Standards Australia on 26 June 2003 by setting maximum limits for accessible lead and certain elements in children's toys.
