Urgent national recall on faulty Clark Rubber product
An urgent national recall has been issued for a faulty Clark Rubber product, after it failed tests by product safety regulators.
News.com.au reports the Be-Safe Pool Fence – Portable Pool Fence Starter Kit was ruled to be too dangerous after the Queensland Building and Construction (QBCC) found the latch was not self-latching, which is a requirement by law.
“This completely defeats its safety purpose,” the state’s Minister for Housing and Public Works Mick de Brenni said last night.
“It has failed the relevant Australian Standard for pool safety, it has failed to meet the standard required by Queensland’s non-conforming building product legislation, and it’s simply failed community standards.”
It’s not known how many fences have been sold around Australia, but reports suggest at least 28 have been identified in Queensland. The company behind the fence, Hunter Products, reportedly couldn’t be reached for comment.
“This is an accident waiting to happen, and I’m pleased the QBCC acted swiftly to investigate and advise me of the issue,” Mr de Brenni said.
News.com.au reports the QBCC was alerted to the problems with the fence in January, as consumre group Choice launched an investigation after receiving a video which showed a four-year-old opening it unassisted.
Lawyers for Clark Rubber told Choice: “Given that the Product has repeatedly been certified as meeting the Standard, and the issue experienced remains unrepeated, our client does not intend to recall the product.”
But Clark Rubber seems to have changed its tact and began a voluntary recall.
Consumers who purchased the fence should return it to a Clark Rubber outlet immediately, where they are entitled to receive a full refund.
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