An update from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has the overarching responsibility for regulating general consumer product safety in New Zealand.  This remit presents many challenges given the number and diversity of products involved.  The Ministry has a preference for working with business to ensure consumer products are safe.  The media take a keen interest in product safety, especially where children are involved and/or when there have been incidents and injuries.

The Ministry endeavours to strike a balance between voluntary compliance and having to take more formal regulatory action.  The following issues give an insight into just some of the product areas receiving attention at present.

Blind and Curtain Cords

Many jurisdictions around the world have put regulations in place to deal with the potential strangulation hazards posed by curtain and blinds cords.  Sadly there have been serious incidents including fatalities involving infants and toddlers.  The Ministry is reviewing the situation here and is working with Starship Hospital and Safekids NZ to help raise awareness of the issues with parents and caregivers.  Whether legislation here will follow is at this stage not decided but the campaign to raise awareness will be built around the following advice for consumers:

Loose blind and curtain cords/chains — particularly those with loops — are dangerous.

A child can place the loop over his/her head or get tangled in loose cords when:

• Sleeping in a cot or bed where cords are hanging
• Playing near cords
• Standing on a chair, sofa or bed to look out of a window

Children do not understand that a cord/chain wrapped around their neck can tighten and strangle them in just a few minutes if they sit down, roll around or climb down to the floor. Consumers will be advised to take these four simple steps to ensure that blind and curtain cords/chains are out of reach of children, particularly from children under six.

1. Check blind and curtain cords

• Do this anywhere you are staying, including on holiday.
• Check for loose or looped cords that your child can reach from the floor or by climbing on furniture.
• Immediately tie cords out of reach and move away any furniture children might climb on to reach them.

2. Secure loose cords out of reach

• Buy cleats or tensioning devices for securing cords from a hardware store or curtain and blind shop.
• Use at least two screws to fix each cleat or tensioning device in a place that is out of reach of children.
• Never secure these devices with materials that may fail when a load is placed on them, such as double-sided tape or glue.
• If you cannot fix your unsafe cords and chains out of reach yourself, get a reliable tradesperson to do it for you. If you are renting your home, seek help from your landlord or agent.

3. Choose safe blinds and curtains

• Buy only curtains and blinds which comply with the current voluntary standards and have warning labels to highlight the dangers to children.
• Choose curtains/blinds that provide a way to secure cords/chains so there are no loops or strands that children can reach, or operate without exposed cords/chains.

4. Keep children away from all cords/chains

• Move anything a young child can sit in, stand or climb on (like cots, highchairs, beds, sofas, tables, chairs and bookshelves) away from cords/chains — even those tied around a cleat, as your child may be able to untie them.
• Do not let children play near cords/chains they can reach.
• Never leave children alone in a room with cords/chains they can reach.

The Ministry would encourage retailers to provide good advice to their customers on the issue and look to supply curtains and blinds that carry appropriate warnings and have means of securing cords etc. so there are no loops and they have a means of keeping them out of reach of children.

Button Batteries

There is increasing international evidence that small disc shaped or button batteries have the potential to present serious, potentially fatal risks.  Given their small size, there are the obvious risks for children from choking but much less obvious are the harms that can arise from how these batteries react with bodily fluids if ingested or placed up the nose.  As with the blind cords issue, there currently no specific legal requirements governing the sale/supply of these products but the Ministry has the matter under urgent review and is working on a number of fronts to address the problems.  The first stage will be a media awareness campaign that is hoped to kick in before Christmas that will feature the following:

What are button batteries?

‘Button batteries’ are the small, high power batteries that are used to power hearing aids, watches, toys, games, flashing jewellery, calculators, singing greeting cards, remote control devices and many other items. They are sold through a wide variety of outlets, often in plastic packs that have a number of batteries and cost only a few dollars. The recent introduction of lithium ion variants of these batteries has seen an increase in the power and capability of button batteries.

What is the danger?

When these batteries come in contact with bodily fluids an electric current is created. This leads to the production of hydroxide which is caustic and in turn this can result in tissue necrosis, serious throat damage (such as permanent loss of voice) or in extreme cases has proven fatal.  In the US more than 3,500 people of all ages swallow button batteries every year. The US data also shows that there have been several deaths including seven in the last years from button battery ingestion. The data in New Zealand has not, to date, shown any reported problems here but there is no reason to believe that the same risk and issues do not apply.

Children are the highest risk group because of the tendency to put things in their mouths and in their noses, there have been cases where the elderly have been injured because they have mistaken small batteries for tablets. Button batteries are especially problematic for children. Often when a child swallows one, this would not be witnessed by an adult. Children, especially the very young, will not always be able to tell a parent or caregiver what they might have swallowed.

What are we doing about it?

The Ministry is currently engaged in an international collaboration with the US, Australia, Japan and Korea, looking at possible longer term options to address the risks but in the interim we are advising consumers to be careful about how they use and store button batteries.

How to use button batteries safely

Prevention is better than cure.  Make sure there are no loose batteries around that a child may find and put in their mouth. If you’re changing a button battery, do it on a surface out of reach of a child.

Immediately place the ‘dead’ battery out of reach of the child – even ‘dead’ batteries have enough charge left to produce acids than can eventually lead to tissue damage if there’s prolonged exposure.

Don’t allow children to play with these batteries.

If you have a device that uses this type of battery (and remember they are used in a wide variety of different devices), make sure the battery device on the cover is secure so your child can’t remove it.

Store button batteries like you would medication or matches – out of reach of your children. This means either in a cabinet out of a child’s reach or in a child-proofed, locked area.

If you are aware of any elderly relatives or friends who might mistake button batteries for pills see if there are any measures you could take to make sure tablets and pills are kept well away from loose button batteries that might be used in hearing aids etc.

Take prompt action.  If you’re suspicious that someone has swallowed a button battery, or that a child has maybe placed one in his/her nose, seek medical attention immediately. Serious harm can be done in as short a period as two hours from ingestion etc. so time is of the essence. A button battery is visible on X-ray. If one is present in the oesophagus, trachea, ear, or nose, it must be removed as soon as possible to prevent serious damage.

Bunk Beds

A recent screening test carried out by the Ministry showed that none of the bunk beds examined met the voluntary safety standard. The Ministry tested 26 bunk beds of which twenty were bed over bed types, while the remaining six were elevated beds with a workstation or seating area underneath. The bunk beds were sold both at major retailers and boutique stores.

The issues uncovered ranged from minor defects, like missing warning labels, to areas of significant concern. One bunk bed even had the option of replacing the ladder with a slide, while another was sold without a guard rail on one side.

How many bunk beds were tested - how many failed and for what reasons?

Four failed on minor technicalities, like missing warnings and information. Two bed over bed bunks were noncompliant in every area.

What are the voluntary safety standards?

The voluntary safety standard is AS/NZS 4220:2010 Bunk beds and other elevated beds. It gives manufacturers clear guidelines on making their product safe. It was updated last year. A safety standard provides manufacturers and suppliers with clear guidance on making their products safe. There are many voluntary product standards in New Zealand that are widely used in this context.

www.standards.co.nz/touchstone/Issue+16/Consumer+Safety/default.htm

Why are there safety standards?

Over the last few years there have been a number of reported injuries and deaths associated with bunk beds.  Bunk beds can pose a number of hazards for both children and adults.  Falls are the most common injury associated with bunk beds and can be fatal. This risk is increased when insufficient guard rails or unsafe ladders are installed. Strangulation is also a hazard. Extensions, protrusions or decorative finials on the posts can catch on clothing or bedding and accidentally hang the occupant.

Other risks include gaps within the framework of the bed, which can trap heads or limbs, and design features, such as having a slide in place of a ladder, which can encourage kids to treat the bunk as a play area. 

Given the scale of non-compliance, the failures to meet this safety standard must be addressed. The Ministry alerted the suppliers to this noncompliance and will be monitoring their response. If the Ministry considers that the industry fails to adequately address the hazards associated with bunk beds in New Zealand, consideration will be given to adopting a mandatory product safety standard.

Will there be any future testing of bunk beds?

Our focus is now aimed at following up with suppliers to ensure these hazards are rectified.

Any advice for parents looking for bunk beds?

When purchasing a bunk bed, ask the shop staff whether it meets the voluntary AS/NZS 4220:2010 safety standard. If a bunk bed is claimed to comply with that standard when it does not this may be a breach of the Fair Trading Act in relation to product misdescription.  The Ministry’s tips for safe bunk bed use:

• Put children only nine years or older in the top bunk.
• Use the top bunk only for sleeping. Falls while playing on the top bunk make up most of the injuries.
• Check ladders and guardrails are fixed and stable.
• Check regularly for wear and tear. Always repair any damage immediately.
• Make sure that the mattresses are suitable for the bunk bed. Check their size in relation to the height of the guardrail.
• Ensure the bunk bed is in a safe position within the room/immediate area – keep bunk beds away from other items of furniture that children may be tempted to try and climb onto.
• Keep bunk beds away from windows, ceiling fittings  and curtain and blind cords
• Pay particular attention when using bunk beds that are not familiar to you (for example in holiday accommodation).