The Commonwealth of Australia has published the Consumer Goods (Swimming and Floatation Aids) Safety Standard 2017, which shall be effective from 20 December 2017. Consumer Protection Notice No. 3 of 2009 on the same subject shall be repealed on 20 December 2019. Products complying with the preceding regulation shall have a 24-month transition period to fulfil the new requirements, which are summarized as follows:

Scope   

The safety standard shall apply to floatation aids, which means articles:

1) Designed for children under 14 years of age; and

2) To be worn on or attached to the user’s body, or sat in by the user, for the purpose of enabling them to gain confidence through water familiarisation, or to assist them in acquiring unaided buoyancy through swimming tuition; and

3) That are not any of the following:

1. Flotation toys;
2. Unattached flotation devices;
3. Articles designed only for therapeutic use;
4. Articles designed for use by disabled persons;
5. Personal flotation devices for use in boating or other recreational water activities

Safety requirements

Floatation aids shall comply with AS/NZS 1900:2014 with the following variations:

1. Clauses 1.1 and 1.4.1 shall be modified to match the scope defined in the regulation.
2. Clause 1.4.3 on definition of flotation toy shall be omitted.
3. Clause 2.1.1 on a general design requirement (security of fit) shall be omitted. The last sentence of Clause 2.8 in relation to Clause 2.1.1 shall also be omitted.

In the transition period before 20 Dec 2019, flotation aids may comply with either:

1. Consumer Goods (Swimming and Flotation Aids) Safety Standard 2017 or
2. Consumer Product Safety Standard for Swimming Aids for Water Familiarisation and Swimming Tuition (Consumer Protection Notice No.3 of 2009)
   

From 20 Dec 2019, Consumer Protection Notice No.3 of 2009 will be repealed and only the new standard will be in effect.

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