With Acting Consumer Protection Commissioner David Hillyard

The holiday season is now in full swing and many families will be travelling and staying in short-stay accommodation which could pose a danger to children if safety standards are ignored. 

While parents will ensure that their home is a safe environment, the same vigilance may not be applied when on holidays, so it’s important that travellers with young children are aware of the safety requirements relating to bunk beds, curtain or blind cords, spas and heavy furniture and appliances. We recommend that a quick check be made when arriving at the accommodation to ensure that certain safeguards are in place.

Generally we recommend that accommodation with bunk beds be avoided in preference for single beds but, if this is not possible, ensure the top bunk has a guardrail, there are no gaps that could trap a child’s head, the ladder is secure and ceiling fans are at least two metres from the top bunk. Children under the age of nine should only sleep on the bottom bunk and try to prevent any jumping or playing on the beds.

If you are hiring a cot, it must comply with the Australian standard and make sure that the sides and ends are fully locked while the cot is in use. Older style cots may not comply with more recent safety regulations and in these instances there are risks of entrapment and suffocation.

Curtain and blind cords can and do kill children by being strangled when they become entangled in looped cords. However, this tragic outcome can be avoided if the cords are more than 1.6 metres from the floor and secured to the wall with a cleat or tensioning device. Check to make sure there are no long, loose cords in your accommodation and that couches, beds and cots are not close enough to the cord for young children to reach it.

If the accommodation has a spa, children should be closely supervised at all times. Don’t allow them to put their head underwater as their hair can get caught in the filter and there is a serious risk of drowning.

Ask the accommodation provider if there is a hot water tempering device fitted which will keep the temperature of the water to well below 50 degrees Celsius.

There have also been numerous injuries and deaths caused by heavy furniture toppling onto children, so don’t allow children to climb onto furniture such as chest of drawers, cabinets or units for televisions. Check the furniture is secure and don’t place any items on top of the furniture that might tempt children to try to climb to reach the top of it.

If the property has a balcony, keep outdoor furniture away from the edge and ensure children do not climb on the balcony furniture or railings.

Further safety advice is available at www.productsafety.gov.au. Contact Consumer Protection on 1300 30 40 54 or by email consumer@commerce.wa.gov.au if you want to report an unsafe situation at any accommodation premises that you may be concerned about.

David Hillyard, by CP Media