Safety Issues

If an item is not illegal then it's OK to be offered or requested on Freegle. But there are some items that members should be careful about if they are intending to use them for their original purpose, as opposed to upcycling or repurposing. It is up to each group to decide if they want to disallow certain items through their own safety concerns or to leave it to their members to decide on whether or not they wish to take the possible risks.

Freegle's disclaimer - https://www.ilovefreegle.org/disclaimer - is clear about the responsibility of Freegle and members.

Here is some information about specific items.

• Furniture and upholstered items used indoors: See page 4 of government advice about fire safety:
  In the Department's view, the simple distribution of second-hand furniture by a charity in pursuance of its charitable objectives to needy persons, either free of charge or at a nominal amount only, would be unlikely to constitute a supply in the course of business. On the other hand, shops selling furniture to raise funds for charitable purposes would constitute a business activity and the Regulations will apply to the furniture sold in this case. Individual charities should take legal advice.

• Cot mattresses - https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/sleep/cot-safety-features-sleeping-safely-cot:
  The Lullaby Trust recommends you buy a new cot mattress, or - if using a second-hand mattress - carefully check that it's clean, dry and free from cracks or tears. Your cot mattress should be firm, with no sagging and fit the cot snugly, with no gaps.

• Helmets for motorcycles or bicycles - https://www.motorcycletesttips.uk/learn-to-ride/motorcycle-helmets-visors-law/ and https://helmets.org/cracks.htm for motorcycle helmets, and for bicycles https://www.whycycle.co.uk/cycling-advice/safety-and-security/cycling-helmets/

• Car seats and restraints - http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/ and https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/child-car-seats/article/what-should-i-do-with-my-old-baby-car-seat-aWIIP7f2jSxf

Some advice for members based on Which article:

• If you must buy or use a second-hand car seat, make sure it’s a close family member or friend who you can rely on to be truthful about its history.
• Examine the car seat carefully for damage (but remember not all damage is visible), make sure it’s suitable for your child’s weight or height, and try it in your car and any others you intend to use it in, including grandparent’s cars, to ensure it will fit securely.
• Remember, all car seats need to meet the R44.04 or R129 car seat regulations and should be labelled as such. Seats labelled 44.03 are still legal to use but this is an older labelling so means the car seat will have been made with less modern materials.
• If you have any doubts about the provenance of the car seat, don’t buy or use it. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Tip: If a post is in pending, you could add a 'mod edit' pointing out the risks of using some items.

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