New product safety standards approved

New product safety standard regulations for cots, children’s nightwear, children’s toys and baby walkers have been approved by Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard.

"The Government is committed to ensuring the safety of New Zealanders and these changes will help to improve the safety of children in particular," said Judith Tizard.

"The previous product safety standard regulations for cots, children’s nightwear, children’s toys and baby walkers have been revised and amended to take into account improvements in the national standards they are based on.

"The baby walker standard, in particular, has been strengthened to ensure that the Product Safety Standard can be effectively enforced by the Commerce Commission."

The regulations were put in place to help reduce an unacceptably high incidence of injury associated with cot use, baby walkers, children’s nightwear, and to address the hazard of small parts in toys for children under the age of three years. They were brought into force to address unsafe design and poor construction of products entering the market.

Revising the regulations, to adopt the new national standards, will ensure that new products entering the market are designed to meet the new national standards and will improve the level of protection.

All Product Safety Standards are regulations under the Fair Trading Act and are enforced by the Commerce Commission in the market place and at the border by the New Zealand Custom Service.

Consumers can report unsafe cots, children’s nightwear, children’s toys and baby walkers to the Commerce Commission.

"I am confident that New Zealand manufacturers, importers, suppliers and retailers of cots, children’s nightwear, children’s toys and baby walkers will work hard to ensure compliance with these new regulations and help improve the safety of young New Zealanders," said Judith Tizard.