New law call over danger on shelves

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019 themercury.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1300 696 397

AUSTRALIANS face unacceptable risks from dangerous products because of weak safety laws, consumer groups have warned.

New figures reveal 6.6 million individual products are currently under voluntary recall because of potential hazards — with about half still likely to be lurking in homes.

Choice campaigns director Erin Turner said Australia relied on recalls rather than forcing businesses to ensure goods were safe.

“Currently regulators’ hands are tied and they can’t move quickly,” Ms Turner said. “We know there are stronger laws in many countries.”

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said toys and baby and children’s products accounted for almost one in three recalls it monitored.

Only about half of all recalled products were returned to sellers each year, leaving one in four households exposed to potential hazards.

It wants laws toughened to require businesses to take

“reasonable steps” to ensure products they sell are safe.

Dangerous items cause 780 deaths and 52,000 injuries annually nationwide, at an estimated economic cost of at least $5 billion a year.

The federal Treasury is seeking feedback on potential options to improve the system.

Suggestions include making the sale of unsafe goods illegal; forcing traders to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of goods before sale; or stronger powers to help authorities take action against harmful products faster.

Regulatory typically takes months.

The Treasury consultation paper states: “Once regulators become aware of a significant safety hazard, their limited powers to immediately ban or address dangerous products means they are unable to intervene immediately or in a targeted way.

“Instead, regulators spend considerable time assessing the hazard and investigating the possibility of using limited product safety tools, such as bans and safety standards.” intervention six to 18