Australia Proposes to Revise Mandatory Safety Standard for Bunk Beds

Vol. 900 | 18 Mar 2016

On 29 February 2016, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) published the consultation document to review the current mandatory safety standard for bunk beds (Consumer Protection Notice No.1 of 2003 – Consumer Product Safety Standard: Bunk Beds).

The mandatory safety standard is based on AS/NZS 4220:1994, which does not address the emergent safety hazards below:

1. Fall hazards, and their associated aspects:
   1. Elevated beds where the upper surface of the mattress is less than 800 mm above the floor surface
   2. Mattress base supports
   3. Provision of access device
   4. Guardrail height
   5. Guardrail stability
   6. Number of access openings
2. Gaps and entrapment hazards
3. Warning on the safe age for use

The ACCC is considering several options including to adopt AS/NZS 4220:2010 or other trusted international standards, such as:

• ISO 9098:1994 Bunk beds for domestic use – Safety requirements and tests
• ASTM F1427-13 Standard consumer safety specification for bunk beds
• BS EN 747-2012 Furniture – Bunk beds and high beds

As recognized experts in the field of juvenile products testing, Intertek has been invited by the ACCC to contribute to the review of the draft standard, and provide comments back to the ACCC.

For more information, please contact:

John Wong
john.wong@intertek.com
852 2173 8637