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Safety Warning For Leaking Hot Water Bottles

30 July 2017

Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Marlene Kairouz is urging Victorians to watch out for a batch of faulty hot water bottles capable of causing serious burns and injury.

A consumer complaint has unearthed thousands of faulty water bottles from Wens Bros Trading Pty Ltd - which trades from a Hallam retail outlet and a Clayton warehouse. Consumer Affairs Victoria was tipped off by a consumer who was burnt when the seams of a hot water bottle split.

Consumer Affairs Victoria staff subsequently seized more than 4000 faulty ‘Hot Water Bag’ products from Wens Bros Trading Pty Ltd’s warehouse and retail outlet.

Testing conducted for Consumer Affairs Victoria found the products did not have the rubber thickness and seam strength required and failed to meet mandatory safety standards for hot water bottles. The products also carried insufficient instructions explaining how to use them safely.

A product recall noticeExternal Link for the faulty hot water bottles has been published at www.recalls.gov.auExternal Link .

The public warning follows an earlier recall on exploding birthday candlesExternal Link as well as other toys and novelty products that had been discovered at Wens Bros Trading Pty Ltd.

Ms Kairouz said the ‘Hot Water Bags’ were unsafe and may not be robust enough to handle normal use, and urged any consumer who has purchased the product to immediately stop using it and to return it for a full refund.

Consumers who purchase a hot water bottle should ask the supplier whether the product complies with product safety laws.

This public warning notice is issued under section 228 of the Australian Consumer Law & Fair Trading Act 2012 and enables Consumer Affairs Victoria to take action to warn consumers.

Consumers can find out more at www.consumer.vic.gov.auExternal Link where they can also report their product safety concerns.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Consumer Affairs Marlene Kairouz

“In the colder months, nothing is better than climbing into bed with a hot water bottle to keep warm - but this shouldn’t be accompanied by a fear that the bottle might burst.”

“It is vital Victorians keep an eye out for these faulty and defective hot water bottles as they could potentially cause injuries.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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