Published
A pre-Christmas blitz on retail shops and wholesalers across Victoria has ensured more than 11,000 dangerous toys will not reach children this Christmas, Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O’Brien announced today.
These dangerous toys were crushed today after Consumer Affairs Victoria conducted 987 inspections of traders across the state resulting in their confiscation.
“Under Victorian law there are very strict safety standards to ensure that dangerous toys do not make it to the shelves and are kept away from our kids,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Toys that risk our children’s health and wellbeing must be permanently removed from the market place.”
The toy safety reminder came as the Consumer Affairs Minister helped destroy thousands of unsafe toys in an industrial crusher. The dangerous toys were seized from Victorian retailers, wholesalers and importers in the lead up to the busy Christmas period.
The seized toys posed a variety of risks, including small parts that could choke a child and projectiles that could cause serious eye injuries.
This year’s toy crush included thousands of toys ordered to be destroyed by the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court as a result of proceedings.
The toys confiscated include:
- toys for kids under three years old, which can break into small parts and potentially choke a child;
- projectile toys including guns and bows and arrows which can injure children’s eyes;
- yo-yo rubber balls, often in bright colours and with flashing lights, that have a long elastic chord that is a strangulation hazard; and
- powerful magnets which when swallowed can cause serious health injuries, and even death.
“What these results show is that while we have made great progress to ensure unsafe products are removed from the shelves, some traders have still not got the message that the sale of any unsafe products will not be tolerated,” Mr O’Brien said.
Under the Australian Consumer Law, a supplier who fails to comply with a mandatory safety standard can face fines of up to $220,000 for individuals and $1.1 million for a body corporate.
Anyone with concerns about product safety issues can contact Consumer Affairs Victoria on
1300 55 81 81 or visit www.consumer.vic.gov.au
Contact details
Media contact:
Rachel Obradovic - Call 0400 916 830 and/or Email: rachel.obradovic@minstaff.vic.gov.au
For more news visit www.premier.vic.gov.au
