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…
Button batteries - Size mattersozaiachin via Photodune

Button battery hazard – Size does matter!

4-minute read A few questions have been raised on the actual danger posed by small and medium button batteries. Some misconceptions have been circulating about: how dangerous they are, how the body responds, andthe type of treatment…
Child injured by button batteriesFamily photo

Button batteries – what can be done? Plenty.

Much more can be done in the immediate term to address the hazard presented by button batteries, as listed below. But let's start with some background. There's no doubt that the button battery hazard is a complex problem. However it…
shareholders and product safetyVelliton via Depositphotos

Shareholders and product safety

KPMG Australia has today released a report on what motivates retail shareholders in the context of declining trust in corporate businesses: Shareholder value: Shareholder values. The report notes that while the desire for better transparency…
Associations and product safety

Associations and product safety

Product safety is a vital aspect of any consumer goods business. Businesses should manage product safety without relying on governments to intervene. And business and industry associations have a key role to play. Business and industry…