Legislative Council Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Product Safety PRODUCT SAFETY The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council PRODUCT SAFETY The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Consumer Affairs a question about product safety inspections. Leave granted. The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Often people assume that baby products purchased from shops meet required safety standards. This is not always so. Can the minister advise what is being done to keep a check on products in our stores? The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council 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 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) (15:22): I am pleased to advise that product safety inspectors are commencing their scrutineering of consumer products for this financial year. The safety of babies is, of course, of the utmost importance to their parents, carers and loved ones. Children are not capable of making the same decisions as adults, especially those involved in identifying the assessment of hazardous risks. Many incidents of child injury could easily be avoided by being aware of the potential danger traps. Choosing a safe product is the first step; using it appropriately and according to the manufacturer's instructions is the next important step; and, of course, ensuring that it is used for the appropriate age is also important. To ensure that parents, grandparents and carers can make these decisions, the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs soon will be checking out products to ensure that they meet safety regulations. Specifically, inspectors will be looking at baby and children's products, including nightwear, cots, bath aids for babies, child restraints and hot water bottles. Inspectors will be checking that mandatory standards for cots are being met to ensure that babies cannot be trapped by loose bars or parts, and that nightwear meets the labelling requirements about design and particularly issues around flammability. In the car, children need to be secured in restraint devices that are the correct size and design for the baby or child. While bathing aids can assist with supporting a baby in a bath while allowing them to be washed, they can also be hazardous, and children should never be left unattended. Obviously, again, the product needs to carry the appropriate warning labels. Retail outlets and suppliers will be the targets of this testing, and any potential breaches will obviously be thoroughly investigated by OCBA. If a trader is caught supplying a product that does not meet safety requirements, they could face a penalty of up to $10,000 under the Trade Standards Act 1979. This inspection by OCBA will become part of a national program that will be completed later this year involving all their trading agencies. Of course, if any parent or carer has concerns about the safety of any baby product, they can contact OCBA, and there are particular numbers for country callers.