Virtual reality tech, batteries named in safety probe
High-powered batteries, virtual reality headsets and baby products will face greater scrutiny in Australia as the head of the consumer watchdog announces its latest round of safety targets.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission revealed its hit list at the National Consumer Congress in Sydney on Thursday and said it would work more closely with data agencies to identify risky products before they caused widespread damage.
The announcement comes after Australian fire services reported lithium-ion batteries were sparking a growing number of residential blazes, and after LG pledged to launch a year-long campaign to recall a dangerous solar battery.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb told the conference the watchdog would set five priorities for the year to ensure consumer safety, including strong messages about battery safety and support for net-zero products.
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Ms Cass-Gottlieb said the commission was committed to supporting products designed to lower household emissions but would ensure these items, sold new and second-hand, remained safe to use.
"We will continue to raise awareness of lithium-ion battery safety risks and hazards," she said.
"Electric products will be an important focus of our sustainability priority work."
Other products to receive greater attention from the watchdog will include new kinds of consumer technology, such as virtual and augmented reality headsets produced by companies including Meta and Apple.
"We are alert to the probability of product safety risks associated with the use of emerging technology in consumer products," Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.
"With the benefits from new product categories come new risks or, at the very least, new manifestations of existing risks."
She said that products designed for young children and babies, including bottles designed for self-feeding, would also be targets for greater investigation, and the ACCC would work with data agencies to identify safety issues as they emerged to speed up enforcement action.
The commission is also expected to release advice about safety risks for consumers who buy or sell goods online.
The ACCC's focus on lithium battery-powered devices comes after the NSW Fire and Rescue Service warned the power sources were causing an alarming number of residential fires.
A report into NSW house fires in 2023 found batteries were involved in 285 residential blazes, and 67 incidents involved battery-powered bikes, scooters or toys.
LG Energy Solution also committed to a year-long advertising campaign last month to locate as many as 4400 faulty solar batteries still in use despite a recall.