Product Safety in Australia Find important problems. Fix them. Tell - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Product Safety in Australia

Find important problems. Fix them. Tell everyone.

Lauren Johnston Director, Product Safety Education & Governance Australian Competition & Consumer Commission Organisation of American States—CSHN Graduate Course Washington DC, USA 23 May 2012

Australian Consumer Law (ACL)

• Regulatory environment: Competition and Consumer

Act and the Australian Consumer Law

• ACL provides a single national product safety regime
• Contains mandatory reporting requirements
• Federal Minister can issue public warning notices
• ACCC provided with stronger powers to undertake

market surveillance and enforce the new law

Bans and Standards—Mandatory regulations

• Currently 61 bans and mandatory standards
• Products must meet these mandatory regulations

– Fines of up to $1.1 million for a corporation or $220,000 for an individual

• Permanent vs interim bans
• Voluntary regulations

Newer (and possible future) product safety regulations Last year

• Bling dummies and

dummy chains

• Tobacco graphic

health warnings This year

• Trampolines
• Portable swimming pools
• Lead in ceramic

dinnerware

• Stability of domestic

furniture

• Corded internal window

coverings

Surveillance and compliance

• Expanded surveillance team – around Australia
• Increased focus on proactive compliance

more work with industry effectiveness evaluation

Identifying and addressing emerging hazards

Risk assessment

• Benis nomograph
• Clearinghouse
• Product Safety Committee
• Possible outcomes of a risk

assessment

Detailed assessments

• Detailed assessments can lead to

– education campaigns (baby slings), – industry projects (drawstrings guideline), – proposals for new bans or standards, (‘bling’ dummies, trampolines, …) – Market surveys/testing (teeth whiteners, lithium button batteries) – Chemical exposure/risk assessments accessing whole-of-government data – recommendations for no action.

Emerging hazards – chemicals

• New, dedicated chemicals section
• Increased focus for compliance and

enforcement work

• Recent assessments:

– Formaldehyde in hair straighteners – Hydrogen and carbamide peroxide in teeth whiteners – Nitrosamines in dummies and bottle teats – DMF in desiccant sachets – Lead in toys – Bromine in leather goods – Artificial turf

Product recalls

Recall effectiveness

• What do we ask for?

– the number of products returned from within the supply chain and from consumers – the number of complaints and inquiries that have been received regarding the product and the nature

• f these complaints

– the number of inquiries that have been received from consumers regarding the recall and the nature of these inquiries – whether the supplier deviated from the original plan at all in relation to the communication strategy or any

• ther strategies and the reasons why.

Product safety education

• National online campaigns

– Don’t be a Jackass

• Voluntary supplier guidelines

– Drawstrings in children’s clothing

• Partnerships with stakeholders

– The Battery Controlled – International film/AU version