It's time for a new product safety law

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Join the campaign for safe products

It should be illegal to sell dangerous products. No one should be put in hospital because something they bought was unsafe.

Add your name to tell the Assistant Treasurer that businesses should have to make sure the things they sell in Australia are safe.

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Demand an end to dangerous products

Right now, it is not illegal to sell unsafe products in Australia. This means when you go to the shops or buy something online, you can’t be certain that the manufacturer has made sure it’s safe for use.

In fact, only a handful of products are subject to mandatory safety standards, like button batteries – but this only happened after years of strong advocacy following infant injuries and deaths. Worse still, online marketplaces like Temu are exploiting a gap in the law to shirk product safety responsibilities by acting as an intermediary.

From Thermomixes that caused severe burns, to flammable children's clothing sold on Temu, it’s clear we need stronger product safety laws in Australia.

Recent CHOICE research has found that 74% of consumers mistakenly believe that businesses are legally required to ensure products are safe before selling them in Australia. This is despite 93% of people believing that businesses having this legal obligation is important.

This should be a priority for our leaders. That's why we're calling on the Assistant Treasurer to deliver better protections against dangerous products so that we can trust that the products we buy in Australia are safe. Sign the petition for strong product safety laws now.

Andrea and Summer's story

Andrea's four-year-old daughter, Summer, died in 2013 after she swallowed a button battery. Andrea used her voice to help win mandatory button battery safety standards. She is a powerful advocate for product safety law reform.

Click here to read their story.

The fight for a general safety provision continues

2025
News breaks that eight year old Daniella Jacobs-Herd was tragically injured by severe burns when a jumper bought on Temu ignited after sparks from a fire pit blew onto her clothing. Temu recalled the jumper that failed to mandatory safety standards.
CHOICE launches petition calling on Temu to join the Product Safety Pledge.
The ACCC warned consumers about the increasing rate of wireless power bank recalls caused by unsafe lithium-ion batteries. A growing number of state governments begin or continue consultation on mandatory standards on lithium-ion products, which can ignite or explode under reasonable use, as well as electrical safety reform after CHOICE advocacy.

2024
CHOICE investigation tests 15 randomly selected toys purchased on Temu, and found all failed button battery safety standards. The Federal Government introduces reforms to allow Australia to recognise safety standards from other countries.
New mandatory safety standards introduced for infant sleep products after sustained compaining by CHOICE. The standards will begin to operate from 19 Jan 2026.

2023
CHOICE test of products containing button batteries finds that six out of 15 products we bought had serious safety failures.

2022
The Australian government introduced new mandatory safety and information standards for all products containing button batteries – but we’re still fighting for a general product safety provision that would ensure all products we buy are subject to safety checks.
2020
CHOICE conducted a button battery safety test that checked common household items against the voluntary standard. Of the 17 items we looked at, 10 had unsecured batteries that could be easily accessed and swallowed by children.
Three-year-old Brittney Conway becomes the third child to die in Australia since 2013 after swallowing a button battery.
In September, parents Andrea Shoesmith and Allison Rees joined CHOICE product safety campaigners in Canberra. They shared their story with parliamentarians and demanded action on hundreds of unsafe products being sold in Australia every day, such as those containing button batteries.
The ACCC introduces a Product Safety Pledge committing a number of online marketplaces to take action against unsafe product listings and to work with the regulator on identifying problems and helping consumers. However, not all online marketplaces joined as signatories to the voluntary Pledge, and enforcement gaps remain.
2016
In the wake of the tragic deaths of Summer Steer and Isabella Rees from button battery related injuries, CHOICE partnered with Kidsafe QLD and The Parenthood to launch a petition calling on the government to introduce stricter safety standards for all products containing button batteries.
Later that year, the ACCC launched a new voluntary industry code that urged retailers to adopt safety measures that would reduce the risk of children ingesting button batteries. This was a welcome first step, but it relied on companies complying voluntarily.

FAQs

What change is CHOICE calling for?

We want a new law for safe products. This will be a simple, clear law that says if you’re a business who sells a product in Australia, it must be safe. If the law is breached, it should attract a hefty fine. This must include all businesses involved in the supply chain, as well as online marketplaces.

How will a new product safety law make things better?

It will encourage businesses to think about the safety of their products earlier – with the threat of being hit with big fines if they don’t.

Under the current law, businesses tend to react to product safety problems. We want them to actively try to prevent them. We see individuals fight for remedies after a product injures them, or a business may launch a voluntary recall months or years after becoming aware of a safety risk. This isn’t good enough – we want safer markets.

This new law will give businesses a better incentive to make sure their products are safe before they start selling them.

How can I stay up to date on recalled products?

If you want to know whether a product has been recalled, visit the ACCC's product safety website. You can sign up for alerts and updates from the ACCC here as well.

Allison and Bella's story

Allison's 14-month-old daughter, Bella, swallowed a button battery in 2015 and died as a result of the damage it caused when it lodged in her oesophagus. In the face of personal tragedy, Allison has become a passionate advocate for better product safety protections.

Click here to read their story.