The Minister for Financial Services & Regulation, Joe Hockey, today announced the introduction of a new product safety standard for portable aerosol fire extinguishers.
"The new safety standard will ensure that portable aerosol extinguishers sold in Australia provide consumers with a safe disposable fire extinguisher for household use," the Minister said.
"Portable fire extinguishers are principally targeted at the household market, so reliability is vital if there is a fire in the kitchen or garage."
A Norwegian study has concluded that portable fire extinguishers in single-family houses reduce losses by 26%. It is expected that similar direct loss savings would apply in Australia.
"The standard will also allow for new and innovative portable aerosol fire extinguishers to be manufactured and sold in Australia."
The introduction of the new standard follows a review of the previous mandatory standard under the Trade Practices Act 1974. The review confirmed the need to update the existing safety standard for portable aerosol fire extinguishers.
The new standard references Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4353:1995 Portable fire extinguishers–Aerosol type, subject to amendments to remove some overly prescriptive requirements, considered not necessary on safety grounds.
The new requirements come into effect on 1 January 2000, allowing the development of better products. Nevertheless the new standard also maintains the old requirements until 1 July 2001, to allow time for retailers and manufacturers to adjust to the new requirements