Standards Project News

Standards Australia in conjunction with the Department of Finance, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and other stakeholders, are pleased to announce Australia will be adopting an internationally aligned standard for ICT accessibility in procurement.     Standards Australia CEO, Dr Bronwyn Evans, said that the new Australian Standard is to be used as guidance…

Read More Standards Australia and Department of Finance combine to provide greater access to technology for Australians living with a disability.

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Gas stoves and cooktops are a common feature in Australian households, and are a fast and efficient way to cook.  While gas appliances must be certified before they can be installed in our homes, it is still wise to be aware of the potential dangers. An updated Australian/New Zealand standard has recently been published which…

Read More Now we’re cooking with Gas!

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In June 2016 Standards Australia (SA) delegates attended the ISO international workshop Global Services ISO standards as solutions which preceded ISO’s COPOLCO Meeting.  Both events were held in Geneva. ISO has a strong consumer focus and believes that integrating the view of the consumer is important in standards development because it offers a real-life perspective,…

Read More Standards Australia delegates attend ISO international workshop

In May 2016, the Federal Government issued a consultation paper proposing that product safety standards from other countries could, in future, be mandated under the Australian Consumer Law.  This change was probably inevitable, reflecting the decline of consumer product manufacturing in Australia and the growth of on-line shopping; but what will it mean for consumers?…

Read More Standards: The Australian Consumer Law Goes International

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CFA representative David Gray is on the Standards Australia Technical Committee EL-041 Lamps and related equipment which reviewed data obtained from incidents that occurred during the Federal Government’s Home Insulation Program, and data supplied by electrical safety regulators and industry participants in relation to thermal insulation placed over recessed luminaires.  The committee identified that updating…

Read More Recessed luminaires (downlights) – new standard improves consumer safety

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Every week in Australia about 20 children present at hospitals after swallowing a button battery. Two children have died: in 2013 and 2015. When swallowed, small coin-sized lithium button batteries can get stuck in a child’s throat and cause severe burns or death. The statistic has prompted an alliance between consumer group Choice, The Parenthood and Kidsafe Queensland,…

Read More Dangers of button batteries

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Doing one’s bit for the environment has become a reflex for many consumers, who are attentive to the environmental impact of the products they buy. Environmental statements, symbols or graphics proliferate on products or package labels, which made it necessary to develop environmental labelling standards that take into consideration all the relevant aspects of the life-cycle of a product.

Read More Consumers contribute to new Environmental label standard

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A new international standard on Unit Pricing aims to deliver just this! Ian Jarratt is a member of the Queensland Consumers Association, which lead the campaign that resulted in large Australian supermarkets being required to provide the unit price (price per unit of measure) on shelf labels etc. He is Consumers International’s expert on ISO…

Read More Consumers want clear comparative pricing when choosing between products