Luggage straps (elastic)

Under the mandatory standard, elastic luggage straps are elastic straps or cords with a hook, buckle or other fastening device at each end. Elastic luggage straps are designed for securing luggage or other objects.

On this page

• Hazards
• Mandatory standard
• Does this apply to your business?
• Complying with the mandatory standard
• Penalties and consequences
• Key requirements
• Safety markings

Hazards

Eye injuries

Elastic luggage straps are dangerous products due to their design and use, with the most commonly reported injuries occurring to the eyes.

Death or serious injury

• If a highly stretched strap fails or becomes detached, it can rebound at a very high speed causing death or serious injury to the eyes, face, throat and head areas. 
• If any part of the moving strap affects a person, it can cause serious injury or death to the user.

Mandatory standard

The Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standards) Regulations 1979 - Elastic luggage straps prescribes requirements for this mandatory standard. This mandatory standard came into effect on 1 December 2004.

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Does this apply to your business?

Under the ACL, supply includes:

• in relation to goods - supply (including re-supply) by way of sale, exchange, lease, hire or hire-purchase, and
• in relation to services - provide, grant or confer.

This mandatory standard applies to anyone in the business of supplying elastic luggage straps, including:

• manufacturers
• importers
• distributors
• retailers
• hirers.

To allow for staggered implementation, there are some cases where a mandatory standard or ban prescribes different compliance dates for the manufacturing, importing and supply of a product. Manufacturers, importers and distributors should check for this detail in the mandatory standard before embarking on production, importation or distribution of these goods.

Complying with the mandatory standard

To fully understand how to comply with the mandatory standard, suppliers must read the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standards) Regulations 1979 - Elastic luggage straps.

Suppliers may also find the Regulation impact statement — Elastic luggage straps helpful in understanding aspects of the mandatory standard.

Penalties and consequences

Supplying elastic luggage straps that do not meet the mandatory standard can make you liable for heavy fines and product recalls.  For more details, view Penalties and consequences.

Key requirements

Safety markings

Labelling

The mandatory standard requires elastic luggage straps to have permanently attached to them a label bearing the following warning:

• WARNING. Avoid eye injury. DO NOT overstretch. ALWAYS keep face and body out of recoil path. DO NOT use when strap has visible signs of wear or damage.

The label must state the:

• word ‘warning’ in upper case black letters of not less than 4 mm in height on a yellow background
• words ‘do not’ and ‘always’ in upper case black letters of not less than 2 mm in height on a yellow background
• remaining words in lower case black letters of not less than 2 mm in height on a yellow background.