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Products the mandatory standard applies to

A hot water bottle is a container that can be filled with hot water and sealed. It is used to ease pain, warm a bed or warm parts of the body.

It’s made either from rubber or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Complying with the mandatory standard

The mandatory standard for hot water bottles sets out requirements for the design, construction, performance, labelling and testing.

This information is an overview of how to comply with the mandatory standard. Suppliers must not rely on this information as a complete guide to compliance.

View the full detail of the mandatory standard.

Performance

Under the mandatory standard hot water bottles manufactured from rubber and PVC must meet performance requirements for:

  • structural integrity
  • stopper leakage
  • strength of seams
  • pressure resistance tests.

Labelling

The mandatory standard requires hot water bottles manufactured from rubber and PVC to provide warnings on the bottle and its packaging.

Each hot water bottle must be permanently marked with the warning message:

“Do not use boiling water”.

Each hot water bottle must be accompanied with the following warning message:

WARNING — HOT WATER BOTTLES CAN CAUSE BURNS.  AVOID PROLONGED DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE SKIN.

There are further labelling requirements in the mandatory standard depending on the purpose and design of the hot water bottle.

Testing

The mandatory standard specifies testing to make sure hot water bottles meet requirements for design, construction and performance.

Suppliers should organise product testing through specialist laboratories.

Mandatory standard details

Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) Hot Water Bottles Regulations 2008 sets out the mandatory requirements for hot water bottles.

The accompanying Explanatory Statement has further information.

When a product does not comply

Fines and penalties may apply for failure to comply with a mandatory safety or information standard. For more information, see fines and penalties.

Suppliers may need to recall a product when it doesn't meet the mandatory standard or is potentially unsafe.