News

Furniture suppliers will be required to provide safety warnings to consumers about the dangers of toppling furniture hazards, after the Assistant Treasurer, the Hon. Stephen Jones, made a new information standard for toppling furniture.

The ACCC is seeking feedback about ways to reduce the dangers posed by toppling furniture, which has killed at least 28 people in Australia since 2000 and causes close to 20 injuries every week.

The ACCC is seeking submissions from stakeholders, including consumers, consumer safety advocates, the furniture and television industries, and medical professionals about the safety hazards posed by toppling furniture, such as bookshelves, drawers and televisions.

A decorative alcohol-fuelled (ethanol) burner exploded in a suburban backyard in Perth’s southern suburbs at the weekend, prompting a reminder to consumers that certain table-top models have been banned.

Chairman Rod Sims today announced the ACCC’s product safety priorities for 2018 at the National Consumer Congress in Sydney, and reaffirmed support for a general safety provision to be introduced in Australia law to reduce the risk of unsafe goods entering the market.

In August 2017, the ACCC undertook surveillance focussing on the supply of decorative alcohol fuelled devices, more commonly known as ethanol burners.

The ACCC is co-leading an international safety campaign urging parents and carers to anchor unstable furniture and large TVs to the wall to prevent infant deaths and serious injuries.

Decorative alcohol fuelled devices are designed for domestic use and produce a flame using alcohol as fuel. The devices are primarily used for decoration although larger models also may provide heating.

A new safety standard for decorative alcohol-fuelled devices, also known as ethanol burners, will ensure consumers’ safety, Small Business Minister Michael McCormack says.

Consumers are being warned to check if they have the recalled Tolix replica chairs and stools, following continued reports of injuries due to an entrapment point and sharp edges at the base of the legs of the chairs.