Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts is urging consumers to check their hot water bottles following the voluntary national recall of 11 types of hot water bottle, sold exclusively through Sussan women’s fashion stores nationally since April, without mandatory warning labels.

Mr Roberts said Fair Trading had detected the labelling problem during checks in NSW that are part of a National Product Safety Surveillance Program.

“Fair Trading visited the Sussan store at Westfield Parramatta this month and found a number of PVC hot water bottles being sold without the mandatory warning label,” he said. “Fair Trading immediately notified Sussan head office and all stock was removed from sale.

“Sussan has provided a compliant warning label to be attached to the products, to enable them to be sold. The hot water bottles have been tested and found to be compliant.”

The hot water bottle models are: 48447-4/48448-2/48449-0/48450-4/48451-2/48452-0/48453-9/48454-7/48455-5.

Mr Roberts said Fair Trading had been advised of 8,389 sales nationally.

“Sussan is advising customers to cease using these hot water bottles immediately and return to the place of purchase to obtain a warning label or an exchange or full refund,” he said.

For further information, call Sussan Customer Service on 1300 363 351 or (03) 9413 2000 or email helpdesk@sussan.com.au. A recall notice is being displayed in all Australian Sussan stores.

The Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) (Hot Water Bottles) Regulations 2008 requires all hot water bottles to comply with certain design, construction, performance and labelling requirements. Labelling must be permanently and prominently displayed on hot water bottles, warning of the dangers of severe burns, if used incorrectly.

Hot water bottles must carry prescribed warnings on the bottle itself and the packaging or an accompanying warning message.

Mr Roberts said the majority of users of hot water bottles were women and children.

“Hot water bottles provide an inexpensive means of heating but families need to be extra vigilant when it comes to using and maintaining them,” he said. “Injuries can arise from: overfilling the bottle; contact burns; the walls of the bottle not being thick enough; the seams not being strong enough; and, natural deterioration of the bottle from age, overuse, incorrect storage or from the bottle being filled with boiling water.”

“Getting new hot water bottles each winter is a good idea,” he said.

Essential safety tips for hot water bottles: check the condition of the bottle before filling it, never use boiling water directly from a kettle to fill a hot water bottle, do not use a hot water bottle without a wrap or a cover and never place weight or pressure on a hot water bottle as it may burst. For further information and tips visit the Fair Trading website.

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