Dear Suppliers,
The State-wide Equipment Program has received independent advice that many Strollers on the Australian market may not be compliant to mandatory Australian Standards.Strollers are required to be compliant to AS/NZS 2088:2000 (Prams and Strollers - Safety Requirements), however it appears most testing of strollers is to AS/NZS 3695.1:2011 (Wheelchairs - Requirements and test methods for manual wheelchairs).
SWEP has placed all stroller applications on hold, including those currently waitlisted, until documentation that the strollers prescribed, meet the applicable Australian Standard
Note that AS/NZS 2088:2000 is a voluntary standard except for those sections specifically called up by the mandatory standard, described in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Consumer Protection Notice No 8 of 2007 (CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY STANDARD FOR PRAMS AND STROLLERS). While AS/NZS 2088: 2000 has been superseded by AS/NZS 2088:2013, the ACCC mandatory standard still applies. You can access further information concerning the mandatory standard and its requirements at the ACCC's Product Safety Australia website:
https://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/974064#toc14
The ACCC's "Product Safety Prams and Strollers Supplier guide" provides a very clear and accessible explanation of the requirement to the mandatory standard, identifies who it applies to and outlines penalties for non-compliance:
As it is mandatory Australia-wide, SWEP is unable to subsidise strollers that are not demonstrated to comply.All relevant documentation on Strollers that meets the mandatory standard can be emailed to swepchildren@bhs.org.au and the stroller application will be re-instated.
If compliance is unable to be met to the Prams and Strollers Standard, please indicate this to the above email address as the application on hold for that particular stroller be declined due not to meeting Australian Standards.
Any enquiries should be directed to Jody Nicholson, Manager Aids & Equipment Children, jodyn@bhs.org.au
