All New Zealanders have a strong interest in the safety of the products that they buy and use. We are all particularly concerned about the safety of infants products. In discussing safety the key issues are

• safe construction and

• safe use.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has a key role in achieving safety and so do you. This paper sets out what the Ministry is doing, and details an agenda for partnership action.

The agenda draws heavily on the Ministerial Infant Products Safety Forum, held in Wellington in October 1997. The Forum provided a unique opportunity for many interested parties to share their views about what can and should be done to achieve safety. That opportunity is repeated through the development of this paper.

Issues covered at the Forum included: the Ministry of Consumer Affairs strategies, self regulation, injury data, standards and enforcement, a manufacturers perspective on the safety of children's and nursery products, infants products and healthcare, perspectives from Maori and Pacific Island presenters and Plunket. There were workshop discussions on issues for traders, consumers, and on product safety standards.

However, while workshops and discussions are important, action is critical.

This paper records the issues discussed at the Forum, as well as other useful information, but it is really about action. And the key part of the paper is the "agenda for action".

Please read the paper and provide some feedback to ensure the action suggested is the best possible to ensure safe products and safe use.

Please provide any comments you wish to make to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, PO Box 1473, Wellington by Friday 24 April 1998.

These activities are covered in more detail in the proposed agenda set out below. This agenda also reflects the many ideas and strategies discussed at the Forum. In looking at the agenda please consider:

what contribution you or your organisation can make to these strategies

what other strategies are appropriate, who / which organisation should undertake them, and how should they be implemented.

1. Action to remove unsafe products from the market

Undertake pro-active inspections of, product types on the basis of risk assessment and on an ad-hoc basis.

Work closely and quickly with traders to remove/modify unsafe products from the market where they are identified through complaints or pro-active inspection

Undertake swift, public responses to those traders who are unwilling or slow to undertake voluntary recalls.

2. Monitoring Product / Market Developments and their Impact on Consumers

Participate with the Ministry's Australian counterparts in the Nursery Furniture Injury Reduction Programme.

Undertake a small-scale study to collect information on non-hospitalising injuries associated with infant products, consider the likely causes, and identify effective solutions.

Work with other interested parties to develop improved collection of infant products injuries statistics.

3. Ensuring the Presence of Guidelines and Standards for the Development of Safe Products

Discuss with affected parties ways of securing funding to allow the continuation of the principal infant products safety standards.

Consider and prepare for the alternative approach of using appropriate international standards in the event sufficient funding for continued standards is not available.

Seek ongoing industry commitment to manufacture and supply to infant products safety standards, and to enforce compliance with those standards where possible.

Incorporate into standards development the concept of a product safety life-cycle as it would apply to second-hand and products with a long life-span.

Investigate and make appropriate recommendations to the Minister on the introduction of mandatory standards for prams and strollers, cots and cigarette lighters.

4. Strengthening Business Self-Regulatory Activities

Work with the Infant Products Association in ensuring the supply of safe infant products to New Zealand consumers.

Work with the infant products industry to identify the most appropriate single, readily understandable safety mark for infant products.

Secure traders' agreement to provide point-of-sale information, both for new and second-hand products.

5. Informing and Educating Consumers about Safe Use

Help develop a code of practice for infant products traders which will enable appropriate information to be supplied to consumers purchasing infant products.

Investigate the use of permanent, informative symbols about safe product use to overcome English language difficulties for some groups.

Undertake an education and publicity campaign aimed at all parents and caregivers, and targeting at-risk consumers,

• publicising the benefits of standards compliance,

• seeking parents and caregivers assistance in reporting all product safety incidents, and

• reminding them of their responsibilities towards supervision and safe use of infant products.

COMMENTS ON AGENDA FOR ACTION

Response To Infant Products Safety Paper

I wish to make the following comments in response to the Discussion Paper:

Other strategies that are also appropriate are, and they can be implemented by:

I (or my organisation) can contribute to the strategies for Infant Products Safety by:

Name:
Address:

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