Standards - Consumers' Federation of Australia

5 November , 2018

Convertible tricycle strollers – have your say

Recent surveillance activities by the ACCC have identified many convertible tricycle strollers did not have important safety features such as brakes, appropriate harnesses, tether straps or suitable warnings required under the standard. There are a wide variety of tricycles currently for sale in the market. Some tricycles closely resemble a traditional tricycle (sometimes with a…

30 October , 2018

Hydrogen – A fuel for the 21st century

Like natural gas, hydrogen can be used to heat buildings and power vehicles. Unlike natural gas or petrol, when hydrogen is burned there are no CO2 emissions. The only by-products are water vapour and heat. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, not freely available as a gas on Earth but bound into…

17 October , 2018

4th Industrial Revolution – how does this affect me?

We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the…

10 October , 2018

World Standards Day 2018 “International standards and the 4th industrial revolution”

World Standards Day is celebrated on the 14 October each year – to raise awareness about the importance of standards and pay tribute to the thousands of experts worldwide who help develop the voluntary agreements that are published as international standards, read more here. Just as standards were crucial during the first industrial revolution, over 250…

10 October , 2018

Trampoline Parks and Injuries

A lot of people do not realise how significant injuries can be while having fun at a Trampoline Park – read more here. Consumers Federation of Australia (CFA) representative, John Furbank is on the Standards Australia Technical Committee SF-051 which has developed part 1 of a new Australian Standard on trampoline parks. Speak up for Australians by participating…

26 September , 2018

Emergency management reform – submissions invited

Over the last decade there have been many changes to Victoria’s emergency management arrangements. Your experiences and insights will help shape this review and submissions are invited until 1 October 2018 read more here. Consumers Federation of Australia has a representative on the Standards Australia Technical Committee FP-017 Emergency management systems which recently published AS 3745-2010/Amdt 2-2018…

24 September , 2018

IT Service management standards improve business processes and decision making

Improving customer service, productivity and efficiency are just a few of the many benefits of a service management system. ISO has updated two standards in its service management series, with new features, topics and tips from the top. Read more here. Consumers Federation of Australia has a representative on the Standards Australia Technical Committee IT-030…

17 September , 2018

Take care when purchasing cosmetics

More than 7,400 eyeliner products believed to contain lead have been seized by inspectors. Consumers are being warned to take care when purchasing cosmetics after testing by New South Wales Health of the eyeliners branded as ‘Hashmi Surma Special’ and ‘Hashmi Kohl Aswad’, revealed high levels of lead and other dangerous metals, including arsenic and…

5 September , 2018

My Health Record – submissions invited

Here is your chance to have your say about the My Health Record system – submissions invited on the Parliamentary inquiry into the expected benefits of the system and other issues, read more here. Individuals and organisations are invited to send in their opinions and proposals in writing (submissions) Preparing a submission to an inquiry. Submissions sought by 14 September…

22 August , 2018

Half of all Australian homes affected by unsafe products

Faulty products continue to cause serious injury and harm to thousands of Australians, with more than 4.5 million items recalled by suppliers in the 2017-18 financial year. New figures show at least 10 people a day are injured and require medical attention as a result of unsafe products, according to mandatory reports provided to the…

3 August , 2018

Traditional Chinese Medicine standards progressing

Despite being in existence for so long, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is still clouded in mystery and myths. Here’s one mystery revealed. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine – awarded to a TCM expert for her anti-malarial Artemisinin – has ignited an intense sense of elevated hopes on the future and standards for the sector.…

25 July , 2018

ISO Unit Pricing Committee Meet in Japan

The following is an excerpt from an article contributed by John Furbank and Dr Clinton Weeks Many Australian consumers are familiar with and regularly use unit pricing. In Australia Unit Pricing Regulations came into effect in July 2009. However, some unit prices are not easy to read and in other counties there is no unit pricing…