WINDOW COVERINGS

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:44): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Consumer Affairs a question about corded internal window coverings.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: On 15 December 2008, the Coroner released the findings of an inquest that related to the death of a 13 month old child who died after becoming entangled in the cord of a blind that was hanging down into his cot. The Coroner made a number of recommendations to address the danger posed to children by blind cords. My question to the minister is: will she advise the council what has been done to address the recommendations made by the Coroner?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (14:45): I thank the honourable member for his important question. Last year, the Coroner made four recommendations that addressed the danger posed to children by blind cords, one of which was that a public warning be issued to the community. Since then, I have issued a public warning and several media statements about the risks to children of unsafe blind and curtain cords.

In relation to the recommendation that the Minister for Consumer Affairs and the Minister for Health conduct an ongoing awareness and education campaign, I can advise the chamber that officers from the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs have met with officers from the Department of Health, and they are planning a coordinated education and awareness campaign through various child health and parent agencies, such as Kidsafe.

Product safety agencies, including the Office of Consumer and Business of Affairs, are also progressing a proposal to implement a national education awareness campaign concerning looped blind cords and curtains. The Office of Consumer and Business Affairs has also included comprehensive consumer and trader information and advice on its website concerning the dangers of blind cords to infants.

The Coroner also recommended that a safety standard be introduced that covered corded blind and curtain installations, and mandated the fixing and warning labelling of products, and that the implementation of the safety standard be expedited. On 22 January, I made a declaration of dangerous goods under the Trade Standards Act 1979 for corded blinds and curtains. This declaration took effect on 27 January 2009.

The ban requires that the bottom of a looped blind or curtain cord be at least 1,600 millimetres from the base of the blind or curtain or, alternatively, that safety devices must be fitted. Warning labels must be attached to all blind and curtains sold or installed. Safety devices can include an inexpensive two pronged hook, a cord tensioning device or a cord breakaway device.

On 29 January 2009, the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs commenced compliance monitoring of the blind and curtain industry, and its officers have so far visited 27 traders, and they have found five retailers selling products that did not have the correct warning labels or instructions. These products were immediately withdrawn from sale.

Warning letters have been sent to the five retailers and their suppliers. Officers will visit traders again over the coming months and, if any traders are found to be in breach of the ban, the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs will consider undertaking prosecution action. Noncompliant traders risk a maximum fine of $10,000.

I remind families that, while governments can introduce standards, it is also up to them to ensure that hooks are put to good use in order to be effective. The ban was introduced to protect young children from injuries, and even strangulation, from looped blind and curtain cords. Consumers should ensure that looped cords are fastened tightly, that furniture, including cots beds, high chairs and so on, are placed well away from curtain or blind cords and that any climbing hazards are removed.

Obviously, the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs will do all it can to enforce the new safety requirements, and I urge consumers to follow these simple precautions to reduce the hazards to small children.