A question I get asked quite often is why not....?
Why not add pretty shapes to my ribbon clips?
Why can't I have more letters or beads on my clip?
Why can't I make the clip longer?
Why are some people selling clips for as low as $4?
Why have they got diamontes on their clips?
Don't get me wrong I love people asking, I would rather you ask and buy a safe product from me or someone else than buying something pretty but dangerous.
There is a reason behind everything I do. As I have mentioned when I started making clips for my daughter people liked them and wanted one. I didn't feel prepared to sell something as important as a dummy clip without first finding out more.
I phoned the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/142
who are in charge of safety standards and got some great advice. I then wrote to many major companies who make and sell dummy clips asking how they certified their products and which materials they are allowed to use. Although they gave very limited answers I began to see the big picture.
There are very few recorded deaths from dummy clips but ther have been a few injuries so it was necessary to me to follow the standards and guidelines to ensure every baby's safety.
The standards are quite comprehensive and can be purchased by anyone. Any person who sells a dummy clip must ensure they are made to the standard or they risk accepting liability and possibly being sued.
I then went off and purchased several manufactured clips and home made dummy clips. Not 1 hand made clip met the safety standards and most were long enough to risk strangulation of a baby- some Mums even asked how long I wanted it made!
This made me even more determined to get the business off on the right foot. So yes it took me 6 months to come up with a beaded clip and a ribbon clip that meet with the approval of both the ACCC and most importantly me!
So why can't I add a press stud on both ends of the ribbon allowing it to be removed and washed- because the standards specifically state the the ribbon or clip must not be detachable. Imagine if a baby pulled the ribbon hard enough and was left with a nice metal clip loose in their hands to chew on or swallow?
Why can't I add a cute felt shape or ribbon decoration to my ribbon clips? Then the dummy clip is classified as a toy and needs to meet the mandatory safety standard for toys for babies which is the law. That means testing the product by an approved lab etc etc OMG what WAHM could afford that?
Why can't I add more beads to make a nice pattern? The standards give a maximum length for a clip so it can't be wrapped around a babies neck and pulled tight enough to choke them. So if you are looking at a photo of a dummy clip on a baby and it seems to hang loosely or attaches to the bottom of their shirt and has enough room to easily reach their mouth you would think it would easily wrap around their tiny neck.
Why can't I add diamontes or sparkles? Most of them haven't been rated as non toxic first of all so your child could ingest chemicals and also they make it a toy- see above ^^^
Even the ribbon width is mandated- there is a minimum and maximum width. Even the type of metal in the clip is required to meet standards. No nickel and no lead. If your child has sensitive skin nickel can cause a reaction and we all know lead is toxic. All of metal clips are certified safe for use with babies.
So although it is great to see such a variety of clips on the market it is worrying to see so many are more about being eye catching or pretty rather than useful. Dummy clips are after all designed to stop you losing dummies.
So the next time you see a clip for sale have a think about the above points- if not sure ask the seller! They should know all of this and much, much more!
If in doubt ask......why not?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Safety and the Australian Standards
For those that are not fans of Facebook this week has all been about safety.
It seems there are so many mixed messages out there and you the consumer can get conflicting information. So to clear it up from my point of view here are some important facts:
The Australian Safety Standards apply to all products made and bought, whether from a Mum, business or a store.
Some standards are mandatory: this means you have no choice about meeting the standard.
You cannot sell a product on this list unless you meet their requirements.
For a list of products covered by a mandatory standard look here:
To be very clear none of the products I sell are on this list.
If you buy something for a baby or child under the age of 3 please be aware that baby TOYS fall under the mandatory standard.
Here is the page with more details on what counts as a baby toy:
So if you have fallen in love with a handmade doll, teddy, comforter or rattle make sure it has been tested to meet the standard.
Toys that have been tested will have a label stating they are safe or meet the AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2002.
If you are a business or WAHM who makes or sells baby toys you can purchase the
Australian standard here:
Penalties and consequences:
Supplying toys for children up to and including 36 months of age that do not comply with the mandatory standard can make you liable for heavy fines and product recalls.
Some toys under this standard will need to be tested in an approved laboratory.
As for the products I sell while still in the start up phase of my business I rang the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and spoke to the small business sector: http://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/974257/fromItemId/970798
They confirmed that it was safe to sell my products and gave helpful tips and hints.
As advised if no mandatory standard applies they advise you to follow the voluntary standards which I do to the best of my ability.
As I have said on my blog and website one of the reasons I started making dummy clips was because I wasn't happy with what was on the market. I didn't like the plastic chains in stores and after purchasing 4 or 5 clips off other WAHM I realised most of the clips were too long or not made to last. I then went and purchased dummy clips sold in stores to see what made them safe and what materials they use. For the beaded clips I love:
Haba Clips: HABA pacifier clips- beaded
Heimess beaded dummy clips
These 2 great companies make safety a huge priority and it reassured me as a Mum that safety was a focus over looks. I then purchased ribbon clips on the market to see how they were attached, usually by sewn threads and the end had velcro. I hated that the velcro stuck to everything it shouldn't and wore out easily.
That is why my ribbon clips use snaps.
All dummy clips have a maximum length to reduce the risk if strangulation, if a child moved the clip or rolled over in the sleep it could tangle around their neck.
That is why they need to be short enough not to reach all the way around.
The metal clips are lead free in case a child sucks on it, we all know the dangers of lead!
As for my beaded clips all beads are non toxic so there is no danger if a child sucks on a bead, although they are not for teething or biting!
The string is 100% cotton so there are no hidden dangers....check the string regularly as they do wear over time.
If your child sucks on the string make sure you leave it to dry after use.
The same goes for the wooden shape attached with non toxic glue. Be aware that over time it may come loose or need reattaching.
Non toxic glue is not as long lasting as other types but I will reattach for free.
The wooden shape is also painted with non toxic glue in case it gets into mouths. You can request not to have one or to use the suspender clip like I put on the ribbon clips.
For my latest product the Harness Clip- there is no safety standard that is required on this product.
I have used it and sent it to many testers but as with any product it is a personal decision as to where and how you use it.
The dangers to a child are higher from them being in an accident with no harness on rather than being in a harness with clip on.
I hope this has answered any questions you may have but feel free to email me with any more:
I hope this has been an informative and helpful post.
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