Diary note for Chief Reporter/News Editor Product safety and consumer informatio…

The Commerce Commission invites your consumer affairs reporter to a seminar on product safety standards and consumer information standards on

May 8-9

New Zealand Society of Accountants

The seminar will be opened by Commission Chairman Dr Alan Bollard and has been organised with the support of the Retail and Wholesale Merchants Association.

Retailers, importers and manufacturers poor knowledge of product safety and consumer information standards is concerning the Commerce Commission.

Recent action by the Commission includes:

• a company was fined $10,555 for selling dangerous rattles
• a company was fined $4,000 for selling children's nightclothes with no fire danger warning labels
• two cases are in court against retailers selling unsafe bicycles
• more than 20,000 garments were recalled because they failed fire safety standards for children's nightclothes
• four shipments of imported goods were held until country of origin labelling was corrected
• a chain of family restaurants entered a settlement with the Commission after giving away unsafe toys
• a toy store, part of a franchise chain, entered a settlement with the Commission after selling an unsafe toy

As an educational response to its concerns, the Commerce Commission has organised a series of seminars explaining the standards and including practical workshops on applying the standards to businesses.

The first of these seminars was held in Lower Hutt on May 3-4. Another will follow in Christchurch.

Product safety standards apply to:

• toys for children up to three years old
• children's nightclothes
• bicycles for road use

Consumer information standards apply to:

• country of origin labelling
• fibre content labelling for clothing and textiles
• care labelling for clothing and textiles

A copy of the seminar programme follows.

Media contact:Keith Manch, Manager Fair Trading

Phone work (04) 471 0180

Estelle Le Lievre, Project Officer

Phone work (04) 471 0180

Vincent Cholewa, Communications Officer

Phone work (04) 471 0180, home (04) 479 1432

The Pressspeed dial

CTVspeed dial

Newstalk ZB(03) 379 3426

C93 FM(03) 366 5301

91ZM(03) 365 3085

92 More FM(03) 377 1993

Community Newspapers Canterbury(03) 377 2545

Christchurch Mail(03) 365 6623

Christchurch Star(03) 366 0180