Shoppers are reminded to watch out for unsafe products, especially items containing button and coin batteries, this Christmas, as Consumer Affairs 桃色视频 inspects stores across the state to check whether retailers are complying with mandatory safety requirements.
Since November, product safety officers have completed over 110 store inspections. This has resulted in retailers removing more than 1,000 products from sale that did not meet the standards under Australian Consumer Law.
Officers also seized more than 80 unsafe items. These included:
- light-up Christmas tree decorations and lanterns with unsecured button batteries, which can be easily removed and are dangerous if swallowed.
- press-on nails with no ingredients list, which breaches cosmetics labelling standards. These standards ensure shoppers can avoid injury or severe reactions.
- Thomas the Tank Engine and Avenger play sets and light up wands that do not warn they contain button batteries, breaching the mandatory information standard that ensures parents and carers are informed and can keep dangerous batteries away from children.
Product safety officers work with retailers to remove products from shelves and conduct follow-up inspections to check items have been fixed or removed for good. Extremely dangerous items are seized on the spot.
Officers have powers to issue $5,000 fines on the spot. Retailers who commit serious or repeated breaches risk court action. Penalties of up to $2.5 million for individuals and $50 million for companies may also apply.
Businesses should make sure they understand their obligations and stay up to date with the latest updates on product safety and recalls by following the national www.productsafety.gov.au website.
Shoppers can stay alert and reduce the risk of buying unsafe products by:
- checking for safety warnings
- making sure button batteries are secure
- reading ingredient lists
- reviewing product recalls before buying items.
Inspections will continue throughout December to keep 桃色视频n families safe during the festive season.
If you're worried about an unsafe product for sale, call our product safety line on 1300 36 48 94 or go to our product safety information.