Safety Guide

Click to jump:

• A Guide to buying safe baby & nursery products
• Thinking of buying Second Hand Goods?
• A Guide to choosing and using car seats

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A GUIDE TO buying safe baby & nursery products

For many new mums, dads, grandparents and relatives etc buying the essentials for their baby is an exciting time with a huge array of products available in a large range of colours and designs.

You may have already decided on your colour scheme for the Nursery and want to continue this with your pushchair and accessories; you may just want the current ‘must have’ design or your budget may control what you can buy. Whatever your circumstances there is one very important part of the product’s design you should consider and this is…

WILL MY BABY BE SAFE USING THIS PRODUCT – HAS IT BEEN TESTED TO THE RELEVANT BRITISH, EUROPEAN OR INTERNATIONAL SAFETY STANDARDS AND DOES IT MEET THE REQUIRED EUROPEAN LEGISLATION?

BPA approved manufacturers and retailers ensure that their products conform to the necessary standards and a great deal of effort and expense goes into product design to ensure that your baby is safe. These products must endure rigorous testing before they are given a test certificate to prove they are safe.

The following table shows some of the many tests carried out on certain products and the relevant safety standard:-

Products such as pushchairs, car seats and mattresses may also need to pass a fire retardant test which is required by LAW in the UK as well as tests to ensure that the amount of chemicals used in certain plastics and textiles are within the legal limit.

Remember - before you buy your baby or nursery goods check the product and packaging to ensure they meet the relevant safety standard!

To see a full list of all the relevant standards and legislation for baby and nursery products please visit

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Thinking of buying Second Hand Goods?

If you’re tempted, our advice is...

Don't

For over ten years now the Baby Products Association has campaigned against the sale of certain second hand nursery and baby products.

Every year new Product Safety Standards are produced and become part of the rules and regulations that govern and control the new products that are sold in the market place. Such products as safety barriers, pushchairs, high chairs, baby walkers, playpens, sleeping bags, cots, carrycots and child car restraints are all subject to these UK, European and International Standards.

These standards are often incremental, each one improving on its predecessor, to ensure that our children are as safe as possible. The committees across UK and Europe put in many man hours of expert time taking account of all the latest manufacturing and testing technology and eliminating product design faults that have caused accidents and deaths.

The standards when produced are also very much concerned in the provision of clear instructions and labelling by suppliers on how to safely use the product.

In short a product made five years ago will generally be less safe than its modern counterpart.

Worse still a second hand product may have parts missing, have badly worn components or have been involved in an accident. How can you tell when you are buying one? If the instructions are missing, how will you safely know how to use it? Car seats are like crash helmets and no motorcycle rider would ever consider buying one second hand. It is just not worth it. Child car seats can be bought for as little as £30 new and funding can be obtained for those who cannot afford that. So why gamble?

Sellers are often unaware of the potential death-trap they are passing on to the next set of parents and would be devastated if they thought they were in some way responsible for the maiming or death of a young child. Buyers all too often are unaware of the risks they take because a badly fitted or damaged car seat will not reveal its lethal potential until it's required to do its job... when it will fail.

We produce two leaflets describing the dangers of buying baby products second hand.  Please click on the link below to read a PDF version of the leaflet. If you would like to order a free copy of these leaflets from us then please email: info@b-p-a.org

http://www.b-p-a.org/bpa_/images/leaflets/bpa_a.pdf
http://www.b-p-a.org/bpa_/images/leaflets/bpa_b.pdf

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A GUIDE TO CHOOSING AND USING CHILD CAR SEATS

On 18^th September 2006 new legislation came into force throughout Europe for the use of child car seats. The law in the UK is as follows:-

Children under 3 years MUST use the child restraint appropriate for their weight in any vehicle (this includes vans and other goods vehicles).

There is only one exception:

• A child under three may travel unrestrained in the rear of a taxi if the correct child restraint is not available.

Rear-facing baby seats MUST NOT be used in a passenger seat with an active air-bag. The air-bag has to be deactivated manually or automatically.

In vehicles where seat belts are fitted, children 3 years to 135cs in height (approx 4ft 5ins) MUST use the appropriate child restraint.

Three exceptions allow these children to travel in the rear and use an adult seat belt:-

• In a taxi, if the correct child restraint is not available;

• For an occasional journey over a short distance, if the right child restraint is not available;

• Where two occupied child seats in the rear prevent the fitment of a third child seat.

It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure the correct restraint is used for passengers up to the age of 14 years after which responsibility reverts to the passenger.

There is no longer an exemption for children less than 1 year in a baby cot in a car. The appropriate child restraint MUST be used.

CHOOSING A CHILD SEAT

There are many types and styles of child car seats currently available and choosing the right one should not be done in a hurry. The following advice should be considered before you make your final decision.

• It is the child’s weight and height (not age) that determines the size of seat they require.

• Child car seats are classified into the following groups:-

Group 0 for children up to 10kg (around 9 months)

Group 0+ for children up to 13kg (around 12 – 15 months)

Group 1 for children from 9kg to 18kg (around 9 months – 4 years)

Group 2 for children from 15kg to 25kg (around 4 - 6 years)

Group 3 for children from 22kg to 36kg (around 6 – 11 years)

Some car seats cover more than one group, for example a Group 0/1 is suitable from birth up to 18kg.

• Not all child seats fit all cars – check it is compatible with all the vehicles you intend to use it in. If you are unsure look at the manufacturer’s website.

• Try to fit the seat in your vehicle before you buy it.

• Babies should be kept in rearward-facing seats until they weigh at least 9kg.

• Make sure the child seat meets the United Nations Regulation R44.03 or R44.04.

ISOFIX Child Seats

Modern cars are fitted with a system called ISOFIX which has been designed for the quick and easy installation of car seats into vehicles with corresponding ISOFIX fittings. This system creates a rigid link between the child seat and the car with an easy click installation.

Some ISOFIX also feature a foot prop, top tether or 3^rd anchorage point which helps to stabilise the seat in the event of a crash.

Not all ISOFIX child seats fit all vehicles – it is important to check for fitting suitability of all cars you intend fitting the seat to (e.g. family, friends, child-minders) – remember to check again if you change your car.

Fitting and using A CHILD SEAT

Once you have purchased your new car seat it is important to make sure the seat is correctly fitted and the harness is securely adjusted before every journey.

When using your child car seat the following advice should be taken:-

• Don’t rush – take your time to ensure the child is comfortably secure.

• Always read the fitting instructions and keep them in a safe place for future reference.

• Using the seat belt to anchor the product in place, pull the child’s seat down into the vehicle seat cushion until it is a tight fit.

• A properly installed car seat should be firm, with no excessive forward or sideways movement and the buckle of the seat belt should not rest on the frame.

• Make sure the harness is correctly adjusted. It should be quite tight and you should not be able to fit more than two fingers between the harness and the child’s chest.

• Clothing can affect how snugly the harness fits. If you remove a layer of clothing check the harness again.

• The harness buckle should not rest over the child’s stomach.

• Some children try to slip out of the harness or release the buckle. Do not modify the buckle to prevent this; it may affect the quick release mechanism.

• If you are using an Isofix system make sure all anchorage points have clicked into position.

If you use a booster seat that is secured by the adult seatbelt make sure that:-

• The belt is worn as tight as possible

• The lap belt goes over the pelvic region (from hip-bone to hip-bone), not the stomach.

• The diagonal strap rests on the child’s shoulder, not the neck (some seats have a clip to help position the belt).

• Never tuck the seatbelt under the child’s arm or behind their back.

If you are worried that you have not fitted the seat correctly contact your local Road Safety Department who can usually offer a free safety check and fitting service.

The SAFEST place for a child seat is the rear of the car.

Second-hand car seats

NEVER buy a second-hand child car seat because:-

• The seat may have been involved in an accident which can seriously weaken its performance. Damage is not always visible; the harness may have stretched and may not secure your child in the event of an emergency stop.

• The seat may not fit your car correctly.

• Important safety components may be damaged or missing.

• The buckle and its lock may prove ineffective in the event of an accident.

• It is unlikely to pass the required safety regulation R44.03 or R44.04

• New seats include additional foam protection around the head and torso which could prevent serious damage to the child in the event of an accident.

• In the case of an ISOFIX seat the leg or foot prop may be damaged and the seat may not be compatible with your car.

• The seat may have been part of a product recall.

Buying second-hand could easily prove to be false economy. New car seat prices are often cheaper than second-hand ones advertised on internet auction sites!

NEVER fit a rearward-facing seat in the front if there is an active airbag.