Product safety & labelling


Elastic luggage straps, product information a mandatory standard guide
Elastic luggage straps are subject to a consumer product safety standard that addresses the dangers of the accidental release of a stretched strap. Many serious eye injuries have been caused by ela...
Published: 31st December 2000. Electronic: free.

Product safety bulletin September 2007: Banned DEG in toothpaste
An unsafe goods notice banning the supply of toothpaste containing more than 0.25 per cent by weight of diethylene glycol (DEG) was declared on 3 August 2007. The ban took effect immediately.
Published: 18th September 2007. Electronic: free.

The hazard of toddler bucket drowning: product safety
Since 1984, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received reports of over 275 young children drowning in buckets. There are many bucket drowning reported each year around...
Published: 13th June 2007. Electronic: free.

Babies dummies: keep baby safe, safety alert
While dummies are designed to help comfort and settle children, they are also a potential hazard to infants and young toddlers. Poorly designed or manufactured dummies can break apart and the smal...
Published: 23rd October 2006. Electronic: free.

Household furniture hazards for kids, safety alert
Make your home a safe place for children. Young children love to climb and will often play on household furniture. However, climbing on furniture can place children at significant risk.
Published: 30th May 2009. Electronic: free.

Hot water bottles, safety alert
Every year up to 200 Australians are admitted to hospital because of serious burns from hot water bottles. Check out the easy steps you can take to minimise the risk of burns from hot water bottles.
Published: 7th July 2010. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

Basketball rings and backboards, safety alert
This brochure provides information on installation and safe use of basketball rings and backboards. Basketball rings installed on home exteriors may not be able to support the player's weight...
Published: 10th October 2005. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

Baby bath aids, safety alert
Brochure: Baby bath aids are not a safety device and should not be used as a substitute for adult supervision. This brochure and poster are part of an ACCC safety awareness campaign for use of baby...
Published: 19th May 2005. Electronic: free.

More toys for under 3s covered by safety standard
Flyer, A4: Outlines the new requirements of the revised mandatory standard for toys for children under three.
Published: 7th April 2005. Electronic: free.

Toy safety: safety alert
Brochure: This is a guide to buying safe toys for children—what to look for and what to avoid.
Published: 1st January 2007. Electronic: free.

Cot safety: safety alert
Brochure: outlining what safety features to look for when buying a cot, and how to best use it.
Published: 1st January 2007. Electronic: free.

Bunk beds, safety alert
This brochure outlines the safety features to look out for before buying a bunk bed.
Published: 1st January 2007. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

Baby walker safety: safety alert
Flyer, DL: outlining important safety features to look out for before buying baby walkers.
Published: 1st January 2007. Electronic: free.

Working under a vehicle: vehicle jack safety
'Safety alert' brochure outlining the danger of working under a vehicle that is supported by a jack.
Published: 28th August 2011. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

ACCC update issue 14: product safety
The power to ban the sale of unsafe goods and declare national consumer product standards was established in 1977 by amendments to the Trade Practices Act. The ACCC is responsible for ensuring supp...
Published: 13th November 2003. Electronic: free.

Consumer product standards and bans: a compliance guide for suppliers
This leaflet explains how the product safety and product information provisions of the Trade Practices Act work in practice and the role of the ACCC. It also provides guidance on how supp...
Published: 31st May 2003. Electronic: free.

Product safety bulletin: banned-mini jelly cups with konjac
An eighteen-month temporary ban on mini-cup jellies containing konjac was recently announced. This followed a substantial number of deaths and near deaths overseas and in Australia. The ban came in...
Published: 21st August 2002. Electronic: free.

Response to Senate Motion 1031: Tobacco
Report to the Australian Senate on the tobacco industry.
Published: 30th April 2002. Electronic: free.

Bean bags, product information a mandatory standard guide
Bean bags, bean bag covers and the packaging of bean bag filling are subject to a consumer product safety standard. The standard aims to protect young children from the danger of ingesting and inha...
Published: 31st December 2000. Electronic: free.

Exercise cycles, product information a mandatory standard guide
Exercise cycles are subject to a consumer product safety standard designed to reduce injury associated with their use. More specifically, it aims to reduce the incidence of injuries to the fingers,...
Published: 31st December 2000. Electronic: free.

Product safety guide: pedal bicycles
A revised consumer product safety standard for pedal bicycles became effective on 1 November 1999. Compliance with consumer product safety standards is mandatory. This means that all suppliers of p...
Published: 31st December 2000. Electronic: free.

Balloon-blowing kits, product information a mandatory standard guide
Balloon-blowing kits are subject to a consumer product safety standard that prohibits the use of the carcinogenic substance benzene. This booklet explains the standard, the responsibilities of supp...
Published: 31st December 2000. Electronic: free.

Household cots, news for business
If you make, distribute, import, sell (new or secondhand) or hire household cots then this information is important to you. On 30 June 1998 a new mandatory product safety standard covering childre...
Published: 31st July 1998. Electronic: free.

Labelling of products

Related topics on the ACCC website

Product safety in Item #intranet.accc.gov.au:32256:4bc51a5d94672 not found.
Prams and strollers—safety requirements, fact sheet
If you sell prams and strollers, you need to be aware of the mandatory consumer product safety standard for prams and strollers. This fact sheet outlines the requirements of the standard.
Published: 29th April 2008. Electronic: free.

Bunk beds: complying with the mandatory standard
All bunk beds sold in Australia must meet the mandatory consumer product safety standard for bunk beds administered by the ACCC.
Published: 7th July 2008. Electronic: free.

Babies' dummies, product safety: a mandatory standards guide
A mandatory standards guide summarising the requirements for babies' dummies. This guide is for suppliers.
Published: 7th August 2008. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

Product safety bulletin March 2009: Toy and nursery update
The ACCC is keen to alert suppliers to requirements of two new mandatory standards: Children’s portable folding cots, effective from 1 March 2009. Lead in children’s toys, effective from 1 ...
Published: 17th March 2009. Electronic: free.

Product safety bulletin, May 2009—Flotation toys and swimming aids
The ACCC is keen to alert suppliers to requirements of two new mandatory product safety standards: Flotation and aquatic toys and Swimming and flotation aids. These new mandatory product safety st...
Published: 11th August 2009. Electronic: free.

Baby walkers, product safety: a mandatory standards guide
A guide to the product safety mandatory standard for baby walkers for suppliers.
Published: 10th December 2005. Electronic: free.

A guide to testing - Product safety
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has prepared this guide to assist designers, manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, retailers and hire companies understand, organise and u...
Published: 21st June 2011. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

Motor vehicle recovery straps - supplier guide
Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), mandatory consumer product safety standards are introduced when considered reasonably necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to a person. This gu...
Published: 17th June 2011. Electronic: free.

Projectile toys- supplier guide
Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), mandatory consumer product safety standards are introduced when considered reasonably necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to a person. This gu...
Published: 17th March 2011. Electronic: free.

Moveable soccer goals - Supplier guide
Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), mandatory consumer product safety standards are introduced when considered reasonably necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to a person. This gu...
Published: 21st February 2011. Electronic: free.

Supplier guide - Children's portable folding cots
This guide provides a summary of the legal requirements for supply of children’s portable folding cots, commonly known as folding cots. Manufacturers, distributors, importers, wholesalers, retai...
Published: 21st December 2010. Electronic: free.

Portable spas, pools, potty skimmers and outlets - supplier guide
Under the Trade Practices Act 1974, product safety bans are introduced when considered reasonably necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of injury. This guide provides a summary of the ban on supp...
Published: 8th November 2010. Electronic: free.

Review of the Australian product safety recalls system
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has recently conducted a major review of product recall effectiveness in Australia. The ACCC review examined the existing consumer product recall...
Published: 27th May 2010. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

Prams and strollers—Supplier guide
For suppliers—this guide provides an overview of the mandatory requirements for children’s prams and strollers. This publication has been updated to refer to the Competition and Consumer Act 2...
Published: 18th February 2010. Electronic: free.

Testing to product standards - Principals for test organisations - Product safety
Testing a product for compliance with a standard or to substantiate other claims made by the manufacturer requires expertise and great attention to detail. This involves care in product handling, m...
Published: 20th June 2011. Electronic: free.

Prams and strollers, safety alert
A mandatory safety standard for prams and strollers came into effect from 1 July 2008. The standard requires that prams and strollers sold in Australia have a number of safety features, including a...
Published: 1st September 2011. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

Ingredients labelling on cosmetics and toiletries - supplier guide
This guide provides a summary of labelling requirements for cosmetics and toiletries. Mandatory information standards are introduced to increase consumer welfare and wellbeing by providing specifi...
Published: 22nd December 2011. Electronic: free.

Product safety bulletin - Chemicals in cosmetics including hair products
This Bulletin alerts suppliers of cosmetics, including hair care products, to some of the product safety hazards associated with these items and outlines some of your responsibilities as a supplier...
Published: 6th July 2012. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

Product safety bulletin - Formaldehyde in cosmetics including hair products
This Bulletin provides information about formaldehyde in cosmetics and the hazards associated with its use. If you are a manufacturer, importer, wholesaler, hirer or retailer in the business of su...
Published: 6th July 2012. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

Children's toys containing magnets - supplier guide
Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), mandatory consumer product safety standards are introduced when considered reasonably necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to a person. This gu...
Published: 17th June 2011. Electronic: free.

Product safety bulletin - Mandatory reporting for service and technicians
This bulletin alerts service agents and technicians to the obligation to report serious injury, illness or death associated with consumer goods. If you provide a service associated with consumer g...
Published: 26th April 2012. Electronic: free.

Bunk Beds - Supplier guide
This guide provides a summary of the requirements for the supply of bunk beds. Suppliers of bunk beds should read this guide to familiarise themselves with the hazards and the mandatory requiremen...
Published: 31st August 2012. Electronic: free.

Product safety: Mandatory standards and bans
A list of products with mandatory standards regulated by the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and enforced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Published: 2nd March 2012. Electronic: free.

Product safety in Australia
The national product safety system covers consumer goods, which are intended to be or are likely to be for personal, domestic or household use. It also covers product-related services including the...
Published: 28th February 2012. Electronic: free; Printed: free.

New tobacco health warnings
Suppliers of tobacco within and into Australia have mandatory information requirements for health warnings on all tobacco products. Specific requirements are set out for different types of tobacco...
Published: 6th July 2012. Electronic: free.