Over three million faulty products with the potential to injure or cause death are still in circulation, Australia's main consumer watchdog has warned.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) today said there are 6.6 million individual products currently under voluntary recall, with new figures showing about half of those are still likely to be found in people's homes.
Each year, the ACCC is notified of about 650 consumer product recalls, but only half of those are ever returned to sellers.
It's estimated one in four Australian households are exposed to potential hazards.
ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said faulty products have the potential to be far more serious than failing to turn on.
"In Australia, two people die and 145 people are injured every day by unsafe consumer products," said Ms Court.
To strengthen to impact of recalls, the ACCC is recommending the government introduce a new "safety duty" in which businesses would have to comply safety regulations before putting a product to market.
"Many people would be surprised to learn there is currently no law that requires businesses to not sell unsafe products," said Ms Court.
"We believe prevention is better than cure, and that legally requiring businesses to take steps to ensure the safety of their products before they enter the market is needed to protect Australian consumers."
Of particular concern are toys for babies and young children, which comprise a large amount of total recalls.
"Toys and products for babies and children accounted for almost one in three safety recalls monitored by the ACCC. It is really important that people sign up to ACCC product safety alerts and register products with manufacturers, so they stay informed about recalls and can act to remove unsafe products from their homes," Ms Court said.
"We also have the biggest recall in Australian history underway: potentially deadly Takata airbags can still found in about half a million cars.
"It is vital that consumers don't ignore recall information if they receive a letter, email or text from a manufacturer."
The ACCC has launched a wave of recent action against retailers, including Target, Big W and pulling more than 20,000 cars off the road effective immediately.