The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has released a product safety alert for ‘water beads’, which can be found in certain children’s toys, as well as sometimes being used in arts and crafts and floristry.
Water beads pose a risk to young children (image credit: OPSS)
Water beads, also known as jelly balls, water balls, sensory beads and water crystals, are superabsorbent polymers (SAPs). They swell up when exposed to liquids – sometimes to as much as 400 times their original size – which can result in gastrointestinal blockage or choking if swallowed. They have been linked to child fatalities overseas and to serious harm to children in the UK.
The OPSS alert is for consumers – particularly parents and caregivers to young children – childcare and educational establishments, local authority trading standards and businesses.
It cautions that water beads should be kept away from children under 5 years of age; they should only be used by older children under close supervision of an adult; and that they should be stored out of sight and reach of children.
Local Authority Trading Standards services are advised to notify businesses selling water beads within their area of the potential harm these products may pose; and to contact any known importers or distributors of these products within your area to ensure their products comply with their obligations under product safety law.
Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member responsible for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council, is helping to spread the word about the OPSS alert. She commented: “These products may seem fun and harmless but they can be extremely dangerous for young children and vulnerable people.
“Our officers want to make sure people are aware of the potential danger and ensure if they have these products in the home, they are used safely and no young child or vulnerable adult is using them unsupervised.”
