The Commonwealth Minister responsible for the administration of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) is empowered by s 104 and 105 of the ACL to publish safety standards for particular consumer goods or product related services.
Safety standards consist of requirements in relation to how goods are to be designed, made, finished, packaged and tested so as to reduce or prevent the risk of harm to any person. As regards services, safety standards consist of requirements in relation to how services are to be supplied, the skills and qualifications of the supplier, the materials used in supplying the services and the testing of the services.
Safety standards for particular goods or services are declared by the Minister via publication on the internet. Once a safety standard is declared, s 107 of the ACL prohibits a person from offering or supplying consumer goods or services in trade or commerce that do not comply with the safety standards.