Australia Competition & Consumer Commission Announced New Mandatory Information Standard for Toppling Furniture

On May 7, 2024, the Australia Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced Consumer Goods (Toppling Furniture) Information Standard 2024 for freestanding household furniture. This new mandatory information standard requires suppliers to provide safety warnings and advice about how to reduce toppling furniture incidents to consumers before, during and after purchasing furniture. This mandatory information standard comes into effect on 4 May 2025.
Source: https://www.productsafety.gov.au/news/new-laws-to-increase-awareness-of-the-dangers-of-toppling-furniture

Warning and safety information must be provided when supplying toppling furniture under below three categories of furniture:

Category 1: A clothing storage unit or bookcase with a height of 686 mm or more. A clothing storage unit is an item of furniture intended to primarily store clothes. And it has one or more drawers, doors or other extendable elements.
Category 2: Entertainment units, of any height typically used for housing televisions, home theatre systems or gaming consoles.
Category 3: Hall tables, display cabinets, buffets, and sideboards with a height 686 mm or greater.

While it excludes:
•    furniture that was bought by a consumer and is being resold.
•    second-hand furniture, including furniture that was previously bought and used commercially.
•    furniture designed to be affixed to a wall or other structure and that cannot be used properly unless it is so affixed.

The standard will require suppliers to:
•    attach a permanent warning label to furniture in a location where it will be visible when the toppling furniture is empty.
•    include safety information and advice about anchoring furniture in manuals and assembly instructions; and
•    provide warnings about the hazards of toppling furniture when display and supply furniture in stores and online.

The examples of hag tag and warning label that are compliant with the requirements can be referenced from the explanatory statement: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2024L00512/latest/text/explanatory-statement

Additional Information
• https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2024L00512/latest/text
• https://www.productsafety.gov.au/product-safety-laws/safety-standards-bans/mandatory-standards/toppling-furniture#toc-products-the-mandatory-standard-applies-to

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