Keep your children safe this winter with the right nightwear and heater-safety rules.
On cold days kids love to snuggle up close to a heater, whether it's on a weekend morning watching TV while mum and dad catch an extra hour's sleep or before bedtime.
But heaters are a serious risk to small children - in the past five years at least four children have been badly burned because their nightwear caught fire. One child died as a result of the burns he received.
To keep your children safe this winter:
- Teach them the "keep a metre from the heater" rule and make sure they don't sit or walk closer than a metre to the heater or fire. If your child is very young use a safety guard.
- Buy them winter pyjamas that fit closely. It's tempting to allow room for growth but a flapping sleeve or a loose jacket could come into contact with a heater and catch fire.
Fire-risk labels
All children's nightwear must display a fire-risk label.
- A red label means the garment is a high fire risk and is more suitable for summer wear.
- An orange label is a warning to choose close-fitting options - you'll find it on brushed cotton pyjamas.
- A white label means the garment is a lower fire risk. It does not mean there is no fire risk.
More from consumer.org.nz
- Children's nightwear safety - our May 2008 news items detailing changes to children's nightwear labelling requirements
Member Comments
Got a question or comment on this topic? Share your views and experiences with other Consumer members...
To add a comment you need to be a member of consumer.org.nz. Login or Join.
Read what our members have to say close
To save money on essentials and make buying decisions easy, you can't go past Consumer. We're proud to have over 65,000 members all enjoying our independent information online or in Consumer magazine.
Here's what some of them say...
"Just wanted to let you know that I find your site excellent! Easy to find my way around, everything at my fingertips - just a click away.
I only took out a 3 month membership as I wasn't sure but it is actually really easy to use and if I want it on paper I can print the
reports. Thanks again".
Denise Watkinson - Waitakere
"My mother (74) got a renewal letter from her insurance company for her car insurance, wanting $570. After reading
your article on car insurance, I contacted one of the companies you recommended, who quoted her $318 for the same
level of cover. I just wanted to stay thank you very much for your article, as it has saved my mother a substantial amount of money".
Adrian Lane - Kapiti Coast
"I've been a member to the magazine since 1997 and enjoy reading it a lot. I've found lots of helpful information on different issues...
Thank you for being so helpful".
Peter Kovalenko - Porirua
"I have been a member of the Consumer NZ for 20 or more years and have enjoyed much reliable advice.
I turn to their tests before making significant purchases".
Lyndal Print – Auckland
Join Consumer now and make your decisions easy on a huge range of products and services
- Over 500 reports, plus interactive tools and calculators
- Independent advice from NZ's trusted source of information
- Join over 65,000 members who help us get all NZers a fairer deal
from just $28
