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…
Association product safety

Associations need to act on button battery products

4 minute read Any Australian business that supplies products that use small silver ‘button’ batteries – or supplies the batteries themselves - will need to comply with new mandatory safety standards under the Australian Consumer Law…
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…
Celebrate compliance officer day

Where would you be without compliance? Celebrate Compliance Officer Day

 4 - minute read Compliance Officer Day is celebrated on 26 September each year. This year it falls on a Saturday, so you might like to take a moment before then to acknowledge your product safety compliance manager and…
Gail's 2007 Year of the Recall

Gail’s 2007 – Year of the Recall

5 minute read In many ways 2007 was a gamechanger. It was my job to help keep children safe, but toys became so hazardous we nearly had to cancel Christmas. It was also the year I began writing my first novel. World attention Me…
Martin Rushton product safetyGail's iphone

Farewell and thanks to a valued colleague – Martin Rushton

3 minute read We will shortly see the retirement of a veteran consumer product safety colleague. I’d like to pay tribute to Martin Rushton, who has been the mainstay of New Zealand’s product safety agency for around 15 years. (He…
Button battery regulationPaha_L via Depositphoto

Button battery regulation, Australia

5 minute read There’s three things that mark out button batteries as a critical product safety hazard – the severity of the injuries, the ongoing rate of those injuries and the breadth of exposure to the product. Swallowing a…
Kids stuck at home

Things to watch out for while the kids are stuck at home

3 minute read Keeping the family safe in isolation When kids are stuck indoors, they can get creative in how they keep themselves entertained. This article highlights three known hazards around the home that parents and carers need…
Netflix Broken series - furniture

Netflix documentary – how cheap furniture is killing children – lessons for all

4 minute read In a first for product safety, a new documentary exposes the story of how everyday household products can present unacceptable hazards. Still from Broken, Episode 3 Episode 3 of the new US Netflix ‘docuseries’,…
Influence consumer product safety
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New product safety laws being considered

3 minute read What changes are needed in Australian consumer policy to improve product safety? A Treasury consultation paper discussing a series of options to improve the current consumer product safety system is currently out for…