• 10 out 17 common household products failed our button battery safety test.
• Despite two deaths and many injuries to children, product makers are largely ignoring the voluntary button battery safety code.

Button batteries are everywhere these days, powering everything from medical devices to musical birthday cards.

But there’s a price to pay for the convenience: button batteries have long been a potentially lethal threat to young children, who ingest them at an alarming rate.

Read more here.

Since the EESS commenced in Queensland in 2013, responsible suppliers have not been required to pay renewal fees for registration of in-scope electrical equipment. EESS fees have also not been subject to CPI increases. These “exemptions” were put in place until other States and Territories adopted the EESS.

Western Australia and Victoria have now signed on to the EESS and Victoria recently passed legislation to enact the EESS as law. As a result, from 1 January 2019 renewal fees will apply to all level 2 and 3 registered in-scope electrical equipment, and will also be subject to CPI increases.

Faulty products hit list

4.5 million recalls in FY18.

Faulty products continue to cause serious injury and harm to thousands of Australians, with more than 4.5 million items recalled by suppliers in the 2017-18 financial year. A total of 613 products were recalled, 26 from the electronics and technology sectors.

New figures showed at least 10 people a day are injured and require medical attention as a result of unsafe products, according to mandatory reports provided to the ACCC by manufacturers and retailers.

“Ten injuries a day due to defective products is alarming, but we suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg as many more consumers don’t report injuries to the product suppliers at all,” ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said.

Read more of the Appliance Retailer article here.

ERAC has published an information bulletin on electric shocks from power supply units where part of the unit has become attached.

To read the full bulletin click here.

Certification Body Australia continue to issue certificates for Australian telecom approvals.

The Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) has approved the scope extension of Certification Body Australia as a Conformity Assessment Body providing Product Certification Services in the Telecommunications Equipment Certification Scheme (TECS).

For list of certification bodies click here.

For full details please read the information notice from the Electrical Safety Office, Queensland:-

Glue gun – Info Notice

For full details please read the information notice from the Electrical Safety Office, Queensland:-

Nightlight – mains socket-outlet mounted – Info Notice

For full details please read the Information Notice from the Electrical Safety Office, Queensland :-

Information notice – LED lamps (self-ballasted) v1.1

Product safety a priority.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims has reaffirmed support for introducing a general safety provision into Australian Consumer Law to reduce the risk of unsafe goods entering the market.

Speaking at the National Consumer Congress in Sydney, Sims said the new policy sets out how the ACCC will manage product safety risks, and the issues it will target in 2018. “As an agency, it is essential we prioritise our product safety resource allocation,” he said.

This year, the ACCC will be targeting nine critical safety issues facing Australian consumers that include: reducing the risk from button batteries and toppling furniture; products supplied over the internet and reviewing compulsory safety standards and bans to make sure these are working and businesses are complying.

Read the full article here.