Media Release:

New standard for portable cots

A new mandatory standard will be introduced for portable cots from 1 March 2009.

Portable cots will soon be required to meet a mandatory safety standard, following an announcement by the Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs Minister Chris Bowen recently.

The new standard will take effect from 1 March 2009 and will subject portable cots to a set of compulsory safety requirements which currently apply only to regular household cots.

"The Government is concerned about the safety of portable folding cots and is sending a clear message to suppliers that they should comply with this standard as soon as possible," Mr Bowen said.

The move follows years of lobbying from parents and consumer groups, urging the government to introduce tighter measures to regulate the market.

In a CHOICE product review last year, it was found that only three out of ten portable cots examined passed all the in-house safety tests.

At least 25 deaths have been associated with children's cots since January 2000, according to records from the Australia National Coroners Information System — although the data does not generally distinguish between household or portable cots.

The new standard will be drawn from the existing Australian and New Zealand voluntary code, with particular focus on:

• ensuring the security of folding mechanisms
• elimination of entrapment gaps
• the safety of mattresses
• the provision of safety warnings.

"We welcome the new mandatory standard being applied to portable or travel cots in addition to standard cots," CHOICE chief executive Peter Kell said. "It's imperative that products used by children meet minimum safety standards.

"It's good to see Minister Bowen has taken action on behalf of our youngest consumers to ensure manufacturers are meeting the new requirements."

Media Release courtesy of CHOICE.

Mum Zone Release Date: 15th April 2008

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