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New laws are set to increase awareness of the dangers of toppling furniture, with 28 lives lost to falling furniture in Australia since 2000 and more than 900 injured from it every year.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced furniture suppliers will now be required to provide safety warnings to shoppers about the dangers of toppling furniture hazards, under a new information standard.
A total of 28 people, including 17 children aged under five, have died from toppling furniture in Australia since 2000.
New laws are set to increase awareness of the dangers of toppling furniture.
More than 900 Australians suffer injuries that need medical attention from toppling furniture every year, with children under four and older Australians most vulnerable.
The toppling furniture information standard will require suppliers to attach a permanent warning label to furniture.
Suppliers will also be required to include safety information about anchoring furniture in manuals and assembly instructions and provide warnings about the hazards of toppling furniture in furniture stores and online.
The standard will apply to chests of drawers, wardrobes, bookcases, hall tables, display cabinets, buffets and sideboards with a height of 686mm or more and entertainment units of any height.
Suppliers will have a 12-month transition period to implement the new information and labelling requirements.
“Supplying a product that fails to comply with the information standard is a contravention of the Australian Consumer Law and may expose a business or individual to potential enforcement action by the ACCC,” the ACCC said in a statement.
Businesses can be fined $50,000,000, while the maximum financial penalty for individuals is $2,500,000.
The toppling furniture information standard was made by the assistant treasurer Stephen Jones on May 3, after a recommendation by the ACCC.