Published
In November 2013, the Minister for Small Business, the Honourable Bruce Billson, published a Safety Warning Notice about an asbestos risk associated with a product known as “fire wallets”.
The wallets were sold by an eBay trader and at a stall at the Royal Melbourne Show.
Consumers were warned that these fire wallets may contain asbestos and therefore may be hazardous.
The Safety Warning Notice also stated that fire wallets sold more widely were under investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to determine whether these products may also cause injury to consumers.
Fire wallets are a product used by magic enthusiasts and are also a novelty item. They have the appearance of a regular leather wallet but when opened they can produce a large flame. The products contain absorbent pads that the user pre-fills with lighter-fluid. All of the products have some kind of mechanism that is used to ignite the flame.
The Minister has published a notice of the results of the ACCC investigation into fire wallets.
Copies of both notices are available below.
Safety steps for handling and disposing of these fire wallets
- Stop handling or using the product immediately
- Double-bag it in durable plastic bags
- Store it away safely, well out of reach of children
- Email the ACCC at productsafety@accc.gov.au to receive safe disposal advice.
You can also call the ACCC Infocentre on 1300 302 502 (Monday to Friday 8:30 AM – 8 PM).
You can also register your details online on the new National Asbestos Exposure Register.