Children’s products safety warning

 

Each year parents purchase products for their children seemingly unaware of the potential dangers they may face. Thousands of children’s products such as dummies, prams, cots, nightwear and highchairs are available in the Australian marketplace that may not meet Australian Standards.

 

More than 14,000 parents are set to gather in Sydney this week for the Parents, Babies and Children’s Expo. SAI Global, an expert in product safety, has issued a warning against children’s products that do not meet Australian Standards.

 

The General Manager of Product Certification at SAI Global, Mr Mario Battaglia, said: “You can not child proof the world but you can provide parents with the information they need to be able to make an informed choice.”

 

Dummies are a potential choking risk for young children. It is important that they comply with Australian Standard AS 2432-1991, which specifies that:

·                The dummy has no loose fixtures;

·                That the shield has 2 or more ventilation holes;

·                Dummies should always be sterilised before use.

The dummies should carry the warning:

 

Prams can cause serious injury or even death to small children. Children falling from the pram or it tipping backwards because it is overloaded are the main cause of accidents. For greater assurance of safety, look for prams that have been certified to Australian Standard AS/NZS 2088:2000, and parents need to:

·                Choose a pram that has a well fitting harness that comprises of shoulder, waist and crotch straps (5 point safety harness);

·                Ensure that children wear a harness at all times;

·                Check that there are no gaps that could trap small heads, fingers or limbs and that the pram has good brakes;

·                Always supervise children.

Prams should carry the following warning:

 

Cots injure up to 60 children a year. Most injuries occur from falling or getting body parts stuck between the bars. The Australian Standard AS/NZS 2172:2003 is mandatory for all cots sold in Australia. Parents need to check:

·                That their cot has no rough edges;

·                The cot is stable;

·                There are no foot holes or toe holes for climbing;

·                Cots are assembled as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

Child seats increase a child’s chance of surviving a serious car accident by 60%. Parents should look for the “five ticks” StandardsMark when choosing their child restraint. This ensures it complies with the Australian Standards AS/NZS 2088:2000 or AS/NZS 1754:2004. Parents are advised to:

·                Buy the right child restraint for your vehicle;

·                Have the child restraint anchor point fitted by a Safety Restraint Fitting Station that is authorised by the relevant road authority in each State;

·                Never use seatbelt extenders;

·                Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

All child restraints should carry the following warning:

 

Highchairs account for 25 per cent of all nursery furniture accidents and these injuries are mainly due to falls. In a bid to reduce this number of injuries parents should always:

·                Use a high chair that has a 5 point safety harness;

·                Secure the harness every time you place the baby in the chair;

·                Check that a highchair is structurally strong, stable, free of sharp edges or small holes and look for any small openings that could trap small fingers or toes.

 

The new warnings and instructions to be seen on highchairs will include:

 

Children’s nightwear is a potential fire risk, and the emotional cost of burns to children and families in terms of pain, trauma, and often-permanent disfigurement cannot be calculated. It is mandatory that the fire danger label be displayed on pyjamas, nighties, dressing gowns, and infant’s sleeping bags in accordance with Australian Standard AS 1249:2003. Parents need to be aware that:

·                Garments that do not carry a fire warning label are illegal; and

·                The label should be located inside the back neck at the top.

Parents should check for two important warnings:

Or

 

According to Mr Battaglia: “Products that display the “five ticks” StandardsMark must display the appropriate warning labels and all have been rigorously and independently tested to meet some of the world’s toughest safety Standards. So to help keep your children safe, look for the Australian StandardsMark.”

 

Media Inquiries

Tom Godfrey – SAI Global

+61 2 8206 6863 · 0414 191 034 · tom.godfrey@sai-global.com