Following the over $4.6 million penalty ordered against Thermomix in Australia Pty Ltd (Thermomix), sellers of consumer goods are reminded of their obligations to report serious injuries caused by the use or foreseeable misuse of a consumer good to the relevant Australian Commonwealth Minister.
What happened in this case
Proceedings were brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission against Thermomix following reports of injuries sustained by Australian consumers using its TM31 device. A Thermomix is a high-end household appliance which has a number of functions, including heating, blending, pureeing and weighing food. It was found the lid and seal on the TM31 Thermomix did not function as required, and that there was a real risk of burns or other injuries to users if it failed during use. The Court found:
What does this mean for sellers of goods to Australian consumers?
This is a timely reminder for companies who sell goods to Australian consumers of their obligations in relation to the recall of products, particularly in relation to mandatory reporting obligations.
Under s131 of the Australian Consumer Law, suppliers of consumer goods are required to make a report to the relevant Commonwealth Minister within 2 days of becoming aware of a death, serious injury, or illness of a person if they, or another person, consider that the use or foreseeable misuse of the good was, or may have been, the cause of the death, injury or illness. There are exceptions that apply to this reporting requirement – including if it is clear that the harm was not caused by the use or foreseeable misuse of the goods, if it is very unlikely that the harm was caused by the use or foreseeable misuse of the goods, or if a notification is required to a person other than the relevant minister under other regulations or industry codes. This obligation imposes a very tight timeframe on suppliers (with a 2 day notification period), and requires a prompt assessment of the circumstances of the injury to assess whether the reporting obligation is triggered. Also, the threshold required to be met (i.e. either that the goods caused, or may have caused the death, serious injury or illness) is not overly onerous.
In addition, if goods present a safety risk, or are non-compliant with a mandatory standard or ban, they may need to be recalled. A voluntary recall must be notified to the relevant minister within two days of being initiated. In addition, depending on the nature of the product, other state or federal departments may need to be notified e.g. electrical or gas regulators.
Should you have any questions in relation to your recall or reporting obligations, or other questions in relation to product safety, please contact Lynne Lewis and Megan Edwards. b