Posts

Dangerous child car seat head strap accessory
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Call for ban on child car seat head strap

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…
Soccer goal safety
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Soccer goal safety across Australia

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…
Rattle toy safety

Don’t get rattled with your baby products – Selling safe rattles

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.…
Women in product safety

Women in consumer product safety

3-minute read In the past week, while reading about International Women’s Day, I paused to consider the number of women involved in consumer product safety. I decided to write this article to reflect on the key role that women have…
Ear bud safety

How safe are Ear buds?

4 minute read "MAN GETS EAR BUD STUCK IN THROAT WHILE SLEEPING" That seems like a surprising headline - but it’s a logical risk if you stop to think about it. In product safety we always caution parents not to leave any loose…
Gail Greatorex 30 years in product safety

30 years in product safety

October 2017 marks 30 years that I have worked in consumer product safety.  I enjoyed 25 years in government consumer agencies and I now run my own product safety advocacy and consultancy business. Much has changed in that time. My product…
Button battery interview

Suppliers – choose packaging with product safety in mind

We’ve all seen courier vans buzzing around our streets delivering goods that have been purchased online. Are the couriers careful with the boxes? Are the goods in sound condition when they arrive? I recently read an article in Melbourne’s…
Furniture tip-over prevention

New guide to prevent toppling furniture and TV injuries

Button battery products code cover page

Button battery products – new industry code

There has been a lot of publicity about the extreme dangers of button batteries where children have access and swallow them. I think button batteries are the most challenging ever product safety problem. Much work has been done to alert…
Toddler with button battery remotes

Product safety podcast – Button battery interview

Button battery interview Recorded in Brisbane, Queensland on 3 November 2015 following release of the Coroner’s findings on the death of Summer Steer from swallowing a button battery. I have asked 'Are button batteries the most challenging…