A standard is a published document which sets out specifications and procedures that are designed to ensure that a material, product, method or service is fit for its purpose and consistently performs in the manner in which it was intended, including warnings against possible misuse.
Australian Safety Standards were first implemented in the 1970s.
Voluntary standards for products such as babies’ dummies were implemented in 1981. Happy Baby® was a Founding Committee Member.
Bottles and feeding cups come under the ‘plastic material for food contact use’ standard which came to fruition in 1977.
Voluntary standards are prepared by Standards Australia, industry and the Commonwealth and State Governments – companies can ‘choose’ to meet them.
Mandatory standards are implemented when the government decides there are not enough products on the market that meet voluntary standards.
Dummies currently come under voluntary Australian safety standard (AS2432-1991). This standard is currently under review in order to update and improve the standard to provide optimum product safety, a direction which is supported by Happy Baby® in the interests of maximising the safety of dummies for Australian families.
