Link to announcement
https://consultation.accc.gov.au/product-safety/toppling-furniture-consultation-regulation-impact/
Problem being addressed
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is aware of at least 28 deaths associated with toppling furniture in Australia since 2000 and estimates there are at least 900 injuries a year requiring medical treatment, with children under 5 years of age being most at risk. Freestanding storage furniture such as chest of drawers, cupboards, wardrobes, storage units, bookshelves and entertainment units, pose the greatest risk of toppling over resulting in injury or death. The risk of tip over events is most likely when children attempt to climb furniture as the weight of a child standing on an open drawer or shelf shifts the centre of gravity forward.
Proposal
The ACCC has prepared a consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) exploring the problem and which provides a range of proposed policy options aimed at reducing the risk of death and injury associated with toppling furniture. The options in the consultation RIS include:
- the status quo (Option 1 - no change);
- a mandatory safety standard that sets out warning labelling and safety information requirements and requires the provision of an anchoring device (Option 2);
- an information standard that sets out warning labelling and safety information requirements to be provided with the product and at the point of sale online and in-store (Option 3);
- a mandatory safety standard that sets out warning labelling, safety information and stability requirements, and the provision of an anchoring device (Option 4); or
- a mandatory safety standard and a mandatory information standard. This would take the form of either:
- a) a combination of options 2 and 3, or
- b) a combination of options 3 and 4.
Responses to the questions set out in the consultation RIS will assist the ACCC in determining a preferred regulatory option having regard to effectiveness and appropriate cost/benefit considerations, and submissions are due by end 13 June 2022.
Assessed RIS outcome
Compliant consultation RIS