Countdown to new rules for bunk bed safety
The Office of Fair Trading is warning owners of short-term rental accommodation to check their bunk beds meet new mandatory safety standards or risk a $200,000 fine.
Short-term accommodation is defined as accommodation supplied in trade or commerce for a period of 60 days or less, so these standards will mainly apply to bunk beds in holiday accommodation.
Fair Trading executive director Brian Bauer said the changes, that come into effect on 21 October this year, were designed to prevent bunk bed-related injuries to children. “Recent figures show almost 300 children present to hospital emergency departments in Queensland each year with bunk bed-related injuries,” Mr Bauer said.
“Most of these injuries are to children aged six and under, and more than half of all injuries are to children’s heads. Under the new regulation it will be illegal to supply or offer to supply rooms with non-compliant bunk beds, so owners, as well as property agents, share responsibility for safety.
“The standard covers safety aspects such as guardrails, gaps and protrusions on the bunk bed, to reduce the risk of a child rolling out of the bed or being strangled if their clothing is caught on the bed. Mandatory safety standards have been in place for bunk beds sold in Queensland since 2002, so it is particularly important to check beds bought prior to this time to ensure they are safe.”
The maximum penalty for breaching the safety standard is $200,000 for an individual and $1.1 million for a body corporate.
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