Furniture suppliers will be required to provide safety warnings to consumers about the dangers of toppling furniture, after the Assistant Treasurer, the Hon. Stephen Jones, made a new information standard for toppling furniture, the Consumer Goods (Toppling Furniture) Information Standard 2024.
This new standard applies to certain types of furniture and will require suppliers to attach a permanent warning label to furniture; include safety information and advice about anchoring furniture in manuals and assembly instructions; and provide warnings about the hazards of toppling furniture in furniture stores and online.
Suppliers must comply with these requirements from 4 May 2025.
Products the mandatory standard applies to
Freestanding household furniture can be dangerous if it falls or topples over.
Warnings and safety information must be provided when supplying these 3 categories of furniture.
Category 1
A clothing storage unit or bookcase with a height of 686 mm or more. A clothing storage unit is an item of furniture intended to primarily store clothes. It has one or more doors or drawers.
Category 2
Entertainment units of any height typically used for housing televisions, home theatre systems or gaming consoles.
Category 3
Hall tables, display cabinets, buffets, and sideboards with a height 686 mm or greater.
Products the mandatory standard does not apply to
The mandatory standard excludes:
- furniture that was bought by a consumer and is being resold
- second-hand furniture, including furniture that was previously bought and used commercially
- furniture designed to be fastened to a wall or other structure and that can’t be used unless it’s attached.
