An interim 18-month ban on sky lanterns was declared by the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs and published in Special Gazette No. 150 on 24 September 2009 (Consumer Protection No. 19 of 2009).A sky lantern is essentially a miniature unmanned hot air balloon that uses an open flame as a heat source to heat the air inside the lantern to cause it to lift into the atmosphere.
These products potentially could cause uncontrolled fires because of the possibility of open flame contacting combustible material, particularly in bushfire-prone areas.
Recent product recalls
Two-piece party horns
Two-piece party horns were recalled after tests commissioned by the ACCC revealed it to be a choking hazard for children under the age of three.
Bakery Sugarcraft Party Horns supplied in various department stores across Australia failed to meet the mandatory safety standard for toys for children under 36 months. The whistle mouthpiece on the party horn is made of two parts that separated under stringent performance testing, providing access to a small part that could potentially cause a choking or suffocation injury.
All suppliers must ensure that the toys they supply for young children meet the mandatory product safety standard.
Parents and carers are urged to take these crucial steps to ensure the toys their children play with are safe:
Check that objects given to young children are not able to release small parts.
Do not give toys that have small parts or small objects—such as coins, batteries and screws—to children under three years of age.
Look carefully at party horns to ensure that the whistle mouthpiece is not manufactured in two pieces.
Read labels and packaging. Look for and follow the age recommendations and instructions about proper assembly, use and supervision.
Choose sturdy and well made toys that can stand up to being bitten, tugged, sucked, jumped on and thrown around without falling apart.
The ACCC's Safe toys for kids booklet includes information about hazards and safety tips for various toys.
Children’s nightwear
Parents and carers have been urged to check children's sleepwear after Big W's recall of 27 styles incorrectly labelled as low fire danger.It is crucial for parents and carers to know that the nightwear they are buying will minimise flammability in the event of a fire.
The garments recalled by Big W are more likely to ignite and burn more quickly than those that meet requirements for low fire danger labelling.But parents and carers should note that even low fire danger garments are not fireproof and they should take care at all times to ensure children are not exposed to fire hazards.
Here are some safety tips for parents and carers:
Do not choose nightwear labelled ‘high fire danger’ if your child may be near open heat sources.
If you have chosen garments with a low fire danger label, remember that these can still be flammable.
Contact your local fire authority for information on how to:
A nationwide blitz on hot water bottles has resulted in the recall of over 250 000 hot water bottles across Australia.
The ACCC and state and territory consumer regulators randomly checked 30 brands; preliminary tests revealed that 18 of these brands did not comply with the mandatory standard—which requires acceptable bottle thickness and stringent quality levels relating to leakage, seam strength and pressure.
The nationwide blitz followed the rise in severe burns resulting from hot water bottles splitting, leaking or bursting.
From January 2006 to August 2009 in New South Wales alone, 111 people were treated for severe burns at a special hospital unit after suffering hot water bottle scalds, and nearly a third of these people required skin grafts. In Victoria, more than 70 burns were treated over the same period.
The following brands have been voluntarily withdrawn from sale or have been removed from store shelves as a result of action by the ACCC and state and territory consumer regulators:
‘Cuddly’ hot water bottles—imported and supplied by Evolve Lifewares Pty Ltd
‘Dr Hot’ water bottles—imported and supplied by Sales Net Distribution Pty Ltd
Home Master Brand 2 litre hot water bottle—supplied by P J Sas Trading Pty
TRS Trading Group Pty Ltd hot water bottle—sold in ‘The Reject Shop’ stores throughout Australia
H1304 2 litre hot water bottle—supplied by New Global International Pty Ltd in New South Wales
'Stillwater' hot water bottle—sold in New South Wales
Consumers who have purchased any of these brands should immediately stop using the product and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.Also, since winter is over, now is an excellent time for everyone to take a good look at their hot water bottles at home. Most hot water bottles have a small daisy wheel imprinted on the bottle with the year of manufacture inside it.If the number in the wheel shows that it’s older than 2008, get rid of it.
