Explanatory note

These Regulations revoke the Babies' Dummies (Safety) Regulations 1978 and the Babies' Dummies (Safety) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1978 which imposed requirements relating to the safety of babies' dummies. The requirements were concerned with the materials and construction of dummies, their resistance to damage and their packaging and the instructions to be given with them for their safe use. The Regulations which are revoked required compliance with clauses 4–7 of the British Standard Specification for babies' dummies: BS 5239/1975.

The provisions of the revoked Regulations are replaced by the duty to supply babies' dummies which comply with the general safety requirement under section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 taken with British Standard 5239/88. Under section 10(3) of that Act goods are not to be regarded as failing to comply with the general safety requirement in respect of, inter alia, any failure to do more in relation to any matter than is required by any standards of safety approved for the purposes of section 10(3) by or under Regulations made under section 11 of that Act and imposing requirements with respect to that matter. The Secretary of State has approved British Standard 5239/88 for babies' dummies under regulation 2 of the Approval of Safety Standards Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/1911). That approval takes effect on 28 February 1989 when the 1978 Regulations are revoked by these Regulations.

Copies of the British Standards referred to above may be obtained from any of the sales outlets operated by the British Standards Institution (BSI) or by post from the BSI at Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, MK14 6LE.