4. Publicity and education : Government regulators aim to make sure everyone knows about product safety and any dangers. Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) work together and both help enforce Australian Consumer Law. They also help to teach people about their rights and product safety. Solving safety problems and enforcing standards Government regulators help businesses follow safety rules instead of just punishing them. They work with companies, investigate problems, and teach suppliers and consumers about safety. New rules are made when needed, and warnings are given if products are dangerous. Sometimes, products are so unsafe they get banned, like toys with small parts that can be swallowed. Toy packages usually show which age group they are for to avoid risks. If businesses don’t follow safety rules or sell banned products, they can be ýned over $1 million and might have to pay customers who got hurt. Businesses must report any harm within two days.
FIGURE11 All packaged food must provide nutritional information on the packaging.
SkillBuilder discussion Investigating 1. Do you think the potential ýnes and bans for failing to meet safety standards are appropriate?
FIGURE12 This toy wooden alphabet train was removed from sale because it contained dangerous small parts.
2. Should government
regulators be doing more or less to enforce these standards?
16.7 SkillBuilder activity COMMUNICATING Complete your own research using the websites of Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Locate the product recall pages and select three recalled products.
1. State the name of the product. 2. Identify the defect in the product. 3. Explain why that defect was dangerous. 4. What advice was given to consumers? 5. What did the ACCC recommend?
578 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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