So. Soccer popularity is at an all time high across Australia. Our women’s soccer team, the Matildas, have gone gangbusters in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The semi final ‘crushed all-time television ratings records’. This massive profile will generate large numbers of new young and adult players to the sport. But I still have a […]
4 minute read The forces involved when cars crash are beyond most peoples’ imagination. I remember once seeing a video that showed the impact of a 60kph car crash is comparable to a person falling from a four-storey building. We all know children must be properly strapped into a car restraint that’s right for their […]
It’s international Button Battery Awareness Day on 12 June. The day was set up in the USA by Reese’s Purpose, after 17 month-old Reese Hamsmith died from a button battery lodged in her oesophagus. The day is also marked this year by similarly bereaved Australian button battery safety advocates, Bella’s Footprints. There’s so many aspects […]
3 minute read Do you think of product safety as part of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)? ISO 26000 Standard Guidance on Social responsibility includes consumer product safety as a core part of ESG. ESG performance is increasingly being embedded into strategies and operations of organisations everywhere – including associations. If your association covers the […]
3 minute read I recently took a walk on a warm autumn afternoon, ending up at a local park. Dogs, kids and teenagers were out enjoying the sunshine. But I was dismayed to find, dotted across the park, more than a dozen soccer goals not anchored to the ground. Anchoring soccer goals is a vital […]
Babies are very vulnerable, so any product intended for them must be designed for safety. We all know that, like all toys for kids from birth to 3 years, rattles must not be able to break or have any loose parts that can cause choking. All major national and international standards require this. But it […]
It’s summer in Australia and barbecues everywhere are being fired up. There’s always a joke about what’s inside a meat sausage – sometimes euphemistically called a ‘mystery bag’. But even though we’re prepared to take our chances on the meat content, we don’t expect a sausage or burger to contain a sharp piece of wire. […]
Imagine if, when you are preparing a meal, you can’t distinguish a plate from the bench that it’s sitting on. Or you go to take a sip of juice, only to realise too late that it’s scalding hot tea. People living with dementia can’t always control their perception and spatial association. This leads to difficulties […]
Among his many roles, Graeme Samuel is a Professorial Fellow at Monash University’s Business School, and School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine. I worked at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) when Graeme was Chair. Since 2014 he has held the position of Chair of Dementia Australia, the national peak body for people impacted […]
If your business sells consumer goods, you will be placing orders now for June next year. If these products or their accessories include button batteries, they will need to comply with the Australian mandatory safety standards which take full effect on 22 June 2022. Any product that doesn’t meet the standards will be illegal after […]