As the End of Financial Year (EOFY) sales ramp up, retailers are offering big discounts on everything from toys to e-rideables.
While it’s a great time to grab a bargain, it’s also when hidden risks can sneak into your shopping cart.
Consumer Protection’s Product Safety team has flagged toys for babies and toddlers, and items containing button or lithium-ion batteries as particularly risky products to buy during the sales, especially from overseas.
Babies and toddlers often place toys in their mouth, and this makes them more vulnerable to suffer serious internal injuries or choking.
If an item lights up, beeps or sings, it’s likely to be powered by button batteries.
If swallowed, these tiny batteries can cause severe internal burns and death in as little as two hours.
How does that happen?
An electrical current is triggered by saliva, which causes a chemical reaction burning the throat and internal organs.
Toys and household gadgets should be checked carefully before handing them to young children to make sure the battery compartment is secure and can’t be opened without the use of a tool. It may not be obvious the item contains these tiny killers as products bought overseas can be missing the legally required warning labels.
When it comes to toys for bubs, check the age grading label. Toys for kids three years and under must meet a mandatory standard to reduce the risk of small parts coming off during play or after reasonable wear and tear.
Choose sturdy and well-made toys that won’t fall apart when a child bites, tugs or sucks it, jumps on it, or throws it around.
If it looks like it might easily break into small parts, choose another toy.
When buying soft toys, make sure they are securely sewn. Long and loose pieces of thread on a stuffed toy can cause strangulation and soft filling, beads, buttons and sewn on eyes can cause choking.
E-scooters, e-bikes and hoverboards will be another popular choice to chase in the sales.
They’re powered by lithium-ion batteries, which have caused a number of house fires in WA.
This is why it’s important to buy e-rideables from a reputable Australian business. That way you know the battery and the charger meet Australian safety standards.
Cheap or unregulated versions may not just be poor quality, they can be dangerous.
Look for a regulatory compliance mark, such as a tick inside a triangle, or go to eess.gov.au to check whether the charger is approved for use in Australia.
Charge your new e-rideable outside of the home and never leave them to charge overnight. Installing a smoke alarm where they’re charged could save your life.
To make the most of EOFY sales, shop with safety in mind. Check for any recalls on the ACCC’s Product Safety website – productsafety.gov.au
