{"id":"F1997B01840","name":"Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standards) Regulations 1979","slug":"trade-practices-consumer-product-safety-standards-regulations-1979","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"134 of 1979","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":29417,"registerId":"commonwealth-F1997B01840-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name of Regulations","content":"#### 1 Name of Regulations\n\n  These Regulations are the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standards) Regulations 1979.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Interpretation","content":"#### 4 Interpretation\n\n  (1) In these Regulations, the Act means the Trade Practices Act 1974.\n  (2) In these Regulations, a reference to an Australian Standard published on a specified date shall be read as a reference to the standard approved for publication on that date on behalf of the Council of the Standards Association of Australia, being the association of that name incorporated by Royal Charter.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Warnings accompanying goods","content":"#### 5 Warnings accompanying goods\n\n  (1) Where, in these Regulations, a consumer product safety standard is prescribed for the purposes of section 65C of the Act, being a consumer product safety standard that consists of the requirement that a warning shall be placed on goods of a particular kind or on goods of a particular kind and also on any package in which the goods are offered for supply:\n    (a) the warning on the goods or package shall:\n    (i) be marked on the goods or package in indelible permanent ink or paint and in a colour contrasting with the colour of the goods or package, as the case may be;\n    (ii) be stitched into the material of the goods or package by means of thread of a colour contrasting with the colour of the goods or package, as the case may be; or\n    (iii) be marked or stitched in the manner prescribed by subparagraph (i) or (ii) upon or into a label of durable substance affixed to the goods or package in a reasonably permanent manner;\n    (b) the warning on the goods or package shall be placed in a conspicuous position on the goods or package; and\n    (c) the words of the warning shall not be combined with or be accompanied by any other words or matter (including an illustration) where those other words or that other matter would tend to contradict or obscure the meaning of the warning.\n  (2) Subregulation (1) does not apply where these Regulations make other provision in relation to the form and content of markings, warnings or instructions to accompany goods of a particular kind.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"10","sectionType":"section","heading":"Consumer product safety standard for balloon‑blowing kits","content":"#### 10 Consumer product safety standard for balloon‑blowing kits\n\n  (1) For the purposes of section 65C of the Act, the consumer product safety standard specified in subregulation (2) is prescribed in respect of balloon‑blowing kits.\n  (2) The consumer product safety standard referred to in subregulation (1) consists of the requirement that the substance contained in balloon‑blowing kits that is capable of being used to make inflated balloons shall not contain benzene.\n  (3) In this regulation, balloon‑blowing kits means goods that contain a substance capable of being used to make inflated balloons by the action of blowing the whole or a portion of the substance from a tube (not being a container) contained in the goods.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"11","sectionType":"section","heading":"Consumer product safety standards: bean bags, bean bag covers and packages containing bean bag filling","content":"#### 11 Consumer product safety standards: bean bags, bean bag covers and packages containing bean bag filling\n\n  (1) In this regulation:\n\n> bean bag means a cushion or similar item which consists of a bag or cover surrounding bean bag filling and includes a bean bag for use in swimming pools.\n\n> bean bag cover means a bag or cover capable of being filled with bean bag filling and which, if filled with bean bag filling, would constitute a bean bag and includes a bag or cover intended as a separate inner lining for a bean bag.\n\n> bean bag filling means pellets, or small particles, of polystyrene or other similar synthetic material.\n\n> child‑resistant slide‑fastener means a slide‑fastener having a sliding piece which:\n\n    (a) does not have attached to it any tag, handle or other object which would facilitate the movement of the sliding piece; and\n    (b) incorporates a locking mechanism which prevents the sliding piece opening the slide‑fastener unless a wholly separate device is used to disengage the locking mechanism and act as a handle in moving the sliding piece between the teeth.\n\n> slide‑fastener means a device comprising 2 sets of teeth, each set of teeth being located on adjacent edges of the device and having an attached sliding piece which, by moving between the adjacent teeth of each edge, causes the teeth to interlock or cease to interlock, as the case may be, with teeth of the adjacent edge.\n\n  (2) For the purposes of section 65C of the Act, the consumer product safety standard consisting of the requirements of subregulations (4), (5) and (6) is prescribed in respect of bean bags and bean bag covers.\n  (3) For the purposes of section 65C of the Act, the consumer product safety standard consisting of the requirements of subregulations (4) and (5) is prescribed in respect of packages of every description containing bean bag filling.\n  (4) Every bean bag, bean bag cover and package of every description containing bean bag filling shall have fixed securely to, or stamped on, it a label or notice in the following form:\n  “WARNING: Small Lightweight Beads Present a Severe Danger to Children if Swallowed or Inhaled.”\n  (5) A warning label or notice referred to in subregulation (4) shall:\n    (a) bear the word ‘WARNING’ in upper case red letters of not less than 5 millimetres in height on a white background;\n    (b) bear the remaining words in upper and lower case letters as shown in subregulation (4), the upper case letters being of not less than 5 millimetres in height; and\n    (c) be conspicuously displayed.\n  (6) Every bean bag and bean bag cover shall have a child‑resistant slide‑fastener fitted to every opening through which bean bag filling can be inserted or removed.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"11A","sectionType":"section","heading":"Elastic luggage straps—consumer product safety standard until 31 May 2001 (Act s 65C (2))","content":"#### 11A Elastic luggage straps—consumer product safety standard until 31 May 2001 (Act s 65C (2))\n\n  (1) In this regulation, elastic luggage strap means an elastic strap or cord or 2 or more elastic straps or cords permanently joined and:\n    (a) having a hook, buckle or other fastening device at each extremity; and\n    (b) designed to be used for the purpose of securing luggage or other objects.\n  (2) Until the end of 31 May 2001, the consumer product safety standard for elastic luggage straps is:\n    (a) the standard set out in subregulations (3) and (4); or\n    (b) the standard set out in subregulations 11B (3), (4) and (5).\n  (3) The consumer product safety standard mentioned in paragraph (2) (a) consists of the requirement that elastic luggage straps have permanently affixed to them a label bearing the following warning:\n  “WARNING. Avoid eye injury. Do not overstretch. Strap may rebound.”\n  (4) A label referred to in subregulation (3) must:\n    (a) bear the word ‘WARNING’ in upper case red letters of not less than 5 millimetres in height on a white background; and\n    (b) bear the remaining words in upper or lower case letters of not less than 2.5mm in height; and\n    (c) be conspicuously displayed.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"11B","sectionType":"section","heading":"Elastic luggage straps—consumer product safety standard from 1 June 2001 to 30 November 2004 (Act s 65C (2))","content":"#### 11B Elastic luggage straps—consumer product safety standard from 1 June 2001 to 30 November 2004 (Act s 65C (2))\n\n  (1) In this regulation:\n\n> elastic luggage strap has the meaning given by subregulation 11A (1).\n\n  (2) For the period from 1 June 2001 to the end of 30 November 2004, the consumer product safety standard for elastic luggage straps is the standard set out in this regulation.\n  (3) Elastic luggage straps must have permanently attached to them a label bearing the following warning:\n  WARNING. Avoid eye injury. DO NOT overstretch. ALWAYS keep face and body out of recoil path. DO NOT use when strap has visible signs of wear or damage.\n  (4) The label must:\n    (a) bear the word ‘warning’ in upper case black letters of not less than 4 millimetres in height on a yellow background; and\n    (b) bear the words ‘do not’ and ‘always’ in upper case black letters of not less than 2 millimetres in height on a yellow background; and\n    (c) bear the remaining words in lower case black letters of not less than 2 millimetres in height on a yellow background.\n  (5) The label must be clearly displayed.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"12","sectionType":"section","heading":"Warrant for purposes of section 65Q of the Act","content":"#### 12 Warrant for purposes of section 65Q of the Act\n\n  The form of warrant in the Schedule may be used for the purposes of subsection 65Q (5) of the Act.","sortOrder":7}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"source":"grok-batch-everything"},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The regulations have expanded well beyond their original 1979 focus on a narrow set of products (initially balloon-blowing kits) through successive amendments that added detailed standards for bean bags (including child-resistant fasteners) and elastic luggage straps, together with evolving warning language, colour schemes and time-bound transitional rules that altered the breadth and specificity of the original consumer safety framework."},"complexity_factors":["Highly prescriptive technical requirements for label colours, font heights (e.g. 5mm, 2.5mm, 4mm), backgrounds and placement","Nested definitions inside individual regulations (e.g. child-resistant slide-fastener, bean bag filling, elastic luggage strap)","Multiple product-specific standards with differing requirements (regs 10, 11, 11A, 11B)","Time-limited transitional standards that applied only until particular dates (31 May 2001 and 30 November 2004)","Cross-references to section 65C and subsection 65Q(5) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 plus general rules in regs 4 and 5"],"plain_english_summary":"**Safety rules for specific everyday products that can hurt people**\n\nThese regulations set out mandatory consumer product safety standards under the old Trade Practices Act 1974. They tell businesses exactly what they must do when selling balloon-blowing kits, bean bags (and their covers or filling), and elastic luggage straps.\n\n- Balloon kits cannot contain benzene (a harmful chemical).\n- Bean bags must carry a large, clear warning about the deadly risk to children if they swallow or inhale the tiny beads inside. They must also use special zippers that children cannot easily open.\n- Elastic luggage straps must have permanent warning labels telling users not to overstretch them because they can snap back and injure eyes or faces.\n\nThe rules are very precise about how warnings must look: exact letter sizes, colours (red on white or black on yellow), placement, and that they cannot be hidden by other pictures or words. The goal is to stop injuries, especially to children, by making sure dangerous products carry unmistakable safety messages. It affects anyone who makes, imports or sells these items in Australia. Non-compliance can breach the Act and expose suppliers to legal action."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The supplied text prescribes product safety standards for specified goods and sets detailed labelling and design requirements. The document does not include material showing an expansion or contraction of coverage relative to an earlier or original version, nor does it state any change of intent within the text supplied. Therefore no change of scope from original intent is evident in the supplied material."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple product‑specific rules with precise physical and typographical requirements (label wording, colours, minimum letter heights) (Reg 5; Reg 11; Reg 11A; Reg 11B).","Detailed definitional provisions that determine which items are covered (Reg 4(2); Reg 10(3); Reg 11(1); Reg 11A(1)).","Time‑limited and staged standards for one product (elastic luggage straps) that impose different obligations in different date ranges (Reg 11A; Reg 11B).","Cross‑references to the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Act) and to Australian Standards that affect legal scope and enforcement (Reg 4(1)–(2); multiple regs citing s 65C and s 65Q).","Mixture of general marking rules (Reg 5) and very specific product rules, requiring users to consult several provisions to determine full obligations."],"plain_english_summary":"What these regulations change, mechanically:\n\n- Name and references: The instrument is the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standards) Regulations 1979 and it treats references to the Trade Practices Act 1974 as \"the Act\" (Reg 1; Reg 4(1)). It also says how to read references to Australian Standards (Reg 4(2)).\n\n- General rules about warnings on goods: Where a consumer product safety standard requires a warning on goods or their package, the Regulations set mandatory ways the warning may be presented (ink/paint, stitching, or a durable label), require the warning to be conspicuous, and prohibit combining the warning with other words or images that would contradict or obscure it (Reg 5(1)(a)(i)–(iii); Reg 5(1)(b)–(c)). An exception applies where different form/content rules are provided elsewhere in the Regulations (Reg 5(2)).\n\n- Product-specific mandatory standards (prescribed under section 65C of the Act):\n  - Balloon-blowing kits: The substance in a balloon‑blowing kit that can be used to make inflated balloons must not contain benzene (Reg 10(1)–(3)). The regulation also defines what counts as a \"balloon‑blowing kit\" (Reg 10(3)).\n  - Bean bags, bean bag covers, and packages of bean bag filling: Definitions are provided for \"bean bag\", \"bean bag cover\", \"bean bag filling\", \"slide‑fastener\" and \"child‑resistant slide‑fastener\" (Reg 11(1)). Every bean bag, cover and package containing bean bag filling must carry a specified warning label reading: \"WARNING: Small Lightweight Beads Present a Severe Danger to Children if Swallowed or Inhaled.\" The label must meet size, colour and display requirements (Reg 11(4)–(5)). Additionally, every bean bag and cover must have a child‑resistant slide‑fastener on every opening through which filling can be inserted or removed (Reg 11(6)). Packages that contain filling are subject to the label requirements (Reg 11(3)).\n  - Elastic luggage straps: The Regulations set time‑limited, changing label requirements. Until 31 May 2001, straps had to carry a brief warning in red text with specified minimum letter heights (Reg 11A(2)–(4)). From 1 June 2001 to 30 November 2004 a different, longer warning and different colour/size rules applied (Reg 11B(2)–(5)). The Regulations allow two alternate standards during the earlier period (Reg 11A(2)).\n\n- Administrative form for warrants: The Schedule contains a form that may be used for the warrant required under subsection 65Q(5) of the Act (Reg 12).\n\nWho pays, who decides, and what behaviour changes (mechanisms and compliance implications):\n\n- Who pays / bears compliance costs: The legal obligations fall on suppliers, manufacturers or packagers of the specified goods because they must ensure product composition, labelling, closures and packaging meet the prescribed requirements. Examples from the text: removing benzene from substances used in balloon‑blowing kits (Reg 10(2)); affixing or stamping specified warning labels on bean bags and packages (Reg 11(4)–(5)); fitting child‑resistant slide‑fasteners to bean bags (Reg 11(6)); and permanently affixing prescribed warning labels to elastic luggage straps (Reg 11A(3); Reg 11B(3)). These are firm‑level costs in the form of design, material, labelling or assembly changes.\n\n- Who decides and where discretion lies: The Regulations themselves prescribe fixed technical requirements (for example, label wording, colour and minimum letter heights: Reg 11(5); Reg 11A(4); Reg 11B(4)). They do not, in the text supplied, create alternative compliance mechanisms apart from explicitly stated alternatives (for example Reg 11A(2)(b) permits the later standard as an alternate until a specified date). The Regulations operate by reference to the Act (Reg 4(1); Reg 10(1) cites s 65C of the Act) and to Australian Standards when specified (Reg 4(2)), so some operational scope depends on how the Act and any adopted Standards are applied by regulators and enforcers under the Act.\n\n- Compliance burden and implementation detail: The rules are prescriptive about physical form (indelible permanent ink or paint; stitching; durable label affixed in a reasonably permanent manner — Reg 5(1)(a)(i)–(iii)) and presentation (conspicuous placement and prohibition on combining with contradictory matter — Reg 5(1)(b)–(c)). For bean bags and elastic straps the Regulations specify exact label wording, background colours and minimum letter heights (Reg 11(4)–(5); Reg 11A(3)–(4); Reg 11B(3)–(4)). The temporal staging for elastic luggage straps creates changing obligations over defined date ranges (Reg 11A; Reg 11B).\n\n- Behavioural adjustments and substitution effects implied by the text: Firms that previously used a banned substance (benzene) in balloon‑blowing kits must either change the formulation or stop supplying such kits (Reg 10(2)). Suppliers of bean bags must use child‑resistant slide‑fasteners or alter product design so openings do not permit removal/insertion of filling (Reg 11(6)). For elastic straps, suppliers must meet the label standard appropriate to the supply date range (Reg 11A; Reg 11B). Those are mechanical responses required by the Regulations.\n\nImplementation risk and administrative mechanics noted in the text:\n\n- The Regulations leave limited technical discretion at the product‑level because they set explicit physical requirements and precise label formats (Reg 5; Reg 11; Reg 11A; Reg 11B).\n- The Regulations rely on cross‑references to the Act (s 65C and s 65Q) and to Australian Standards (Reg 4(1)–(2)), so practical enforcement, interpretation of offences and use of the warrant form will depend on procedures and powers in the Act and any adopted Standards.\n\nSummary statement of purpose claims in the text:\n\n- Each product‑specific provision is prescribed \"for the purposes of section 65C of the Act\" (Reg 10(1); Reg 11(2)–(3); Reg 11A(2); Reg 11B(2)), i.e. the Regulations establish mandatory product safety standards under that statutory power. The text of the Regulations themselves prescribes the technical requirements; any stated policy aim in external materials is not part of the supplied text. The immediate effect of the prescribed standards is to require suppliers to change product composition, labelling, closure type or packaging as specified (see the cited provisions above)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/trade-practices-consumer-product-safety-standards-regulations-1979","history":"/api/acts/trade-practices-consumer-product-safety-standards-regulations-1979/history","analysis":"/api/acts/trade-practices-consumer-product-safety-standards-regulations-1979/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/trade-practices-consumer-product-safety-standards-regulations-1979/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/trade-practices-consumer-product-safety-standards-regulations-1979/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/trade-practices-consumer-product-safety-standards-regulations-1979/documents"}}