Inflatable toys, novelties & furniture containing beads

Inflatable toys and novelties are made of soft plastic or other similar material and are designed to be inflated. Sometimes the toys and novelties also contain loose pellets or small particles, generally made from polystyrene or a similar synthetic material.

Examples of such products include inflatable toy hammers, balls, children’s chairs, plastic lounges and footstools.

Hazards

Young children may easily access polystyrene beads or other types of pellets in inflatable toys, novelties and furniture because:

• PVC plastic inflatable products may burst or puncture when in contact with sharp objects
• synthetic material is known to weaken with age, and PVC plastic may deteriorate to the point where it bursts and the beads fall out.

Respiratory illness and infections

Children can suffer illness and respiratory infections of the airways and lungs after inhaling beads.

Suffocation

Children can suffocate after lightweight beads that are very difficult to dislodge stick in the throat and block the airways.

Delayed diagnosis and treatment

Medical experts may have trouble diagnosing the cause of an illness because inhaled or swallowed polystyrene beads do not show up on X-Rays and are extremely difficult to locate inside the body.

Ban

Consumer Protection Notice No. 13 of 2011 prescribes requirements of this ban. This ban was declared on 1 February 2011.

Does this ban apply to your business?

Under the ACL supply includes:

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

This ban applies to anyone in the business of supplying these goods, including:

• manufacturers
• importers
• distributors
• retailers
• hirers.

Complying with the ban

Inflatable toys, novelties or furniture which can be inflated by the mouth and which contain small beads or pellets of material that may be inhaled during inflation or deflation, cannot be supplied in Australia.  Polystyrene beads are an example of the type of bead that, if contained in an inflatable toy, novelty or furniture, would make that item the subject of this ban.   

For complete information about the ban on inflatable toys, novelties and furniture containing beads, we strongly advise you to read Consumer Protection Notice No. 13 of 2011.

Penalties and consequences

Suppliers can face heavy fines and recalls of non-compliant products if they trade in these banned products. For more details, view Penalties and consequences.