H&M Australia Fined for Missing Fire Safety Labels on Kids'

H&M Australia, the local arm of the global Swedish fashion chain, has paid a penalty of $138,600 for allegedly selling children’s clothing that failed to meet fire hazard warning label requirements. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued seven infringement notices for breaches of the Australian Consumer Law, specifically relating to the Consumer Goods (Children’s Nightwear and Limited Daywear and Paper Patterns for Children’s Nightwear) Safety Standard. This standard mandates that children’s nightwear carry either a “high fire danger” or “low fire danger” label, depending on the garment’s composition and flammability test results.

The ACCC found that some products lacked any fire hazard warning label, while others had labels that didn’t meet the requirements due to the nature of the warning or the label’s position on the garment. According to the ACCC, this oversight created an unacceptable risk of serious injuries to children, as parents or carers might not have been fully aware of the potential dangers associated with these garments near heat or flame. ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe emphasized, “While the products complied with the flammability requirements of the standard, their failure to carry the required warning labels to alert consumers to the dangers is a serious matter.”

H&M Australia supplied 4,473 non-compliant items across four types of children’s clothing, including pyjamas, dressing gowns, poncho towels with ties, and all-in-one pyjamas with feet. The company issued voluntary recall notices for these products in July 2024, April 2025, and June 2025. H&M Australia has admitted its conduct contravened the Australian Consumer Law and has committed to a court-enforceable undertaking with the ACCC. This includes conducting an awareness campaign about product safety fire hazard warning labels, further advertising the recalls, reviewing existing compliance processes, and establishing a product safety compliance program.

For families, this incident shows the importance of carefully examining labels on children’s clothing. While the garments themselves met flammability standards, the absence of proper warnings left a critical gap in safety information. Consumers who purchased these items are urged to stop using them immediately and return them to the nearest H&M store for a full refund, with no receipt required.