1Australian Consumer Law Imposition of interim ban on Certain Decorative Alcohol Fuelled Devices

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

COMPETITION AND CONSUMER ACT 2010

IMPOSITION OF INTERIM BAN ON CERTAIN DECORATIVE ALCOHOL FUELLED DEVICES

I, MICHAEL McCORMACK, Minister for Small Business, pursuant to section 109(1)(b) of the Australian Consumer Law, which is Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, impose an interim ban on consumer goods being decorative alcohol fuelled devices of a kind specified below.

This interim ban follows the imposition of an interim ban by the Hon. Michael Mischin MLC, Western Australia Minister for Commerce and which is in force in Western Australia.

This Notice commences on the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.

The effect of this Notice is to ban the supply of such consumer goods for a period of 60 days from the day after this Notice is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Particulars of Consumer Goods

Devices designed for domestic use producing a flame using alcohol as fuel, primarily for decorative purpose, excluding each of the following:

1. those with a power output more than 4.5 kilowatts;

2. those that require installation in a fixed position;

3. those designed for food warming;

4. those with a dry weight of at least 8 kilograms and a footprint of at least 900 square centimetres and that satisfy one or more of the following:

   a) the device has a fuel tank that must be removed from the device for refuelling and the device displays a permanent, prominent legible warning with the following text:

WARNING

Filling an alcohol fuelled device while lit has caused severe burns.

You must remove the fuel tank from the device before refilling.

When refilling first check the flame is extinguished and that the device is cool.

or

b) the device is supplied with a fuel container that incorporates a flame arrestor and the device displays a permanent, prominent legible warning with the following text:

WARNING

Filling an alcohol fuelled device while lit has caused severe burns.

When refilling only use containers with a flame arrestor.

When refilling first check the flame is extinguished and that the device is cool.

Interpretation:

Devices designed for domestic use producing a flame using alcohol as fuel, primarily for decorative purpose, are used for heating and display purposes. The fuel is typically ethanol in liquid or (less commonly) gel form. The most common form is methylated spirits (ethanol and around 10 per cent methanol) which may also be marketed as bio-ethanol or eco-fuel.