The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has revealed that faulty products, including building products, continue to cause serious injury and harm to thousands of Australians, with over 4.5 million items recalled by suppliers in the 2017-18 financial year.
New figures detail that at least 10 Australians a day are injured and require medical attention as a result of unsafe products, according to mandatory reports provided to the ACCC by manufacturers and retailers.
“10 injuries a day due to defective products is alarming, but we suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg as many more consumers don’t report injuries to the product suppliers at all,” ACCC Deputy Chair, Delia Rickard announced.
“Australians would be surprised to hear that it is not illegal to supply unsafe products in Australia, as it is in a range of places like the United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Malaysia and Brazil. We think consumers should be able to expect the products they purchase aren’t going to cause them an injury,” Ms Rickard said.
“The number of Australians being injured by unsafe products is far too high, and we encourage people to sign up to recall information or follow us on social media, so they can be alerted to any potential risks,” the Deputy Chair said.
The report also highlighted that recall notifications peak significantly during the summer months. Around half of these notifications are referred to specialist safety regulators for assessment, like building products and hazardous chemicals.
“The high numbers of injuries across Australia indicate many people will be injured or know someone who has been injured by an unsafe product at some point during their lives,” Ms Rickard said.
The consistently high number of recalls suggests the need for a General Safety Provision, which is currently being considered by Consumer Affairs Ministers and would require businesses to ensure the safety of the goods they sell.
The ACCC has stated that the key recalls over this period were:
- Infinity cable recall: faulty electrical cabling installed in homes that is a fire or electrocution risk
- Samsung washing machine: faulty wiring resulting in house fires
- Safetech hardware pool gate latches: latch may lock in an open position allowing access to pool areas resulting in drowning
Aside from that key list, here is a list of the industrial, business and building recalls that were announced by the ACCC from 2017 – 2018:
- Grundfos Holding A/S — Unilift pumps – models AP12, AP35 and AP50
- Chubb Fire & Security Pty Ltd — Kidde 2-3lb Mariner 5 Fire Extinguisher
- Dymocks Brisbane Pty Ltd and Trustee for the Welch Family Trust — Think Ink Pen
- TradeTools Pty Ltd — AGP Dust Extractor Wet & Dry with 1200W Outlet
- Chief Industrial Ladders — Extension Ladder Pole Belt
- TH Distributors — Think Ink pen
- Total Tools Importing Pty Ltd — Saber Inverter Generator
- OX Tools — Ratchet Tie Down Strap
- Stihl Pty Ltd — MS 461 and MS 461-R Chainsaws and GS 461 Concrete Cutter
- Con-Serv Corporation Australia Pty Ltd — Whisper Flood Stop
- Cigweld Pty Ltd — Ferrocraft 22 3.2 mm electrode
Consumers can sign up for tailored alters from the ACCC and report unsafe products to their website.
The full list of recalled products can be found here.