ACCC warns over secondhand baby toys

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Parents have been warned to be careful when buying second-hand baby and children’s products after the consumer watchdog recalled 30 items since the start of the year.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has put young children’s product safety and infant sleep items on their 2023-24 safety priority list, with a focus on button batteries, toys for children under three, and inclined sleep products.

More baby and children’s items are recalled by the ACCC than any other category. More than 250 items have been recalled since 2020.

Baby rattles rank high on the list of recalled items, with an average of one recalled per month this year due to choking risks.

Games and toys were the second most commonly sold used and second-hand items in Australia, according to a 2022 survey, behind clothes, shoes and accessories.

Product safety expert at consumer advocacy group Choice Chris Barnes said buyers needed to be aware of product standards when purchasing items.

“People often aren’t aware if an item has been recalled, about old products that don’t meet standards, and they’re not aware of the wear and tear of items,” he said.

An Ikea change table that was recalled in 2019 due to the possibility that part of the table may come loose, is listed on Facebook Marketplace.

Choice does not recommend purchasing second-hand mattresses, child car restraints, older-style baby gates or bike helmets, and recommends parents check manufacturing dates and evidence of deterioration for a range of other products including toys, cots and swimming pools.

Barnes also warned the regulatory approach to product safety was “piecemeal”.

While Australia has strong safety standards for particular items, unlike the UK and Canada it does not have a general safety provision making it against the law for businesses to supply unsafe products.

Instead, state fair trading departments, the ACCC, and partners including Choice and Kidsafe conduct spot checks on items to confirm they adhere to safety standards.

“We don’t have the regulation which places the onus on the manufacturer or supplier, and forces their hand to come up with industry standards,” Barnes said.

Standards Australia general manager Adam Stingemore urged parents to buy second-hand items from reputable sellers.

“New isn’t always best, but understanding the provenance of a product is really important,” he said.

New products from poor sellers can have dangerous paint, micro-screws or button batteries that can be exposed, he said, while second-hand items such as mattresses may have deteriorated to a point where they are no longer safe.

Credentialed, commercial second-hand sellers will be able to confirm whether a product meets the standards, he said, while those you have a personal relationship with are likely to be more honest about a product’s history.

“Make sure in your purchasing environment, you’re conscious of standards, the level of quality and how a child will use an item,” he said.

About two babies in Australia have died each year since 2001 while using inclined infant products such as rocking sleepers, with an additional death per year linked to other sleep items such as cots, inflatable beds and mattresses, the ACCC found.

Red Nose Australia senior education officer Tiffany Fryett said inclined sleepers and bouncinettes could be dangerous, as babies’ heavy heads were at risk of tilting forward, increasing the risk of suffocation.

“If you use a bouncer to entertain your little one, ensure you can always see them, that they are within arm’s reach, and if your baby looks like they are going to fall asleep, move them to a safe sleep space,” Fryett said.

The consumer watchdog is finalising its recommendations for infant sleep products, including whether baby sleep products with an incline greater than seven degrees should be banned, to be submitted to the federal government.

Late last year Commonwealth, state and territory consumer ministers met to discuss Australia’s consumer agenda, where they agreed to consider consumer guarantee and supplier indemnification reforms.

Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones said more information on ACCC consultation outcomes on infant and children products would be released “shortly” as the government explored options to strengthen consumer reforms.

“The Government takes product safety very seriously, especially in keeping infants and children safe from undue harm,” he said.

Product Safety Australia provides information on choosing baby and children’s products on its website at www.babyproductsafety.gov.au.

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This article has been updated after deadline to include comments from Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones.