Morrisons To Become One Of First Retailers In UK To Put Warnings On Nappy Sacks

14 December 2017, 10:22 | Updated: 14 December 2017, 11:25

Bradford based supermarket Morrisons is to become one of the first retailers in the country to put warning labels on nappy sack packaging.

Last week the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents issued new guidelines for retailers, setting out what they could do to help reduce the risks associated with using nappy sacks.

They say there have been 17 deaths from suffocation on nappy sacks since 2001 - all of babies under 12 months old.

Beth Amison's son Maison died when he was 7 months old. She found him in his cot with a nappy sack over his mouth and thinks he had reached over to pull them from the changing stand.

She said: "After my son Maison died, we learnt that other babies had died because of nappy sacks. Some had been placed near the cot and been grabbed by the baby, some had been blown across the room. We want to see nappy sack manufacturers change the way that they're made. So that they're made on a roll, they're made of a dark colour and not scented - so they're not as attractive to babies."

RoSPA are also urging retailers to put warning labels on the packaging of nappy sacks, to tell parents and carers of the potential dangers.

Morrisons are one of the first retailers to say they'll do this.

Julian Bailey is their spokesman: "We are going to be putting extra instructions and guidelines onto the pack, just to remind parents and warn them about the potential hazards of nappy sacks.

"We try to listen to our customers and she's given a really strong and important point of view to us on the dangers of nappy sacks and we just had to listen. So in many ways it's down to her and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. So we're just pleased to help in what is such an important issue. And obviously we'd urge parents to just be careful with these nappy sacks that are made of plastic."

Beth has welcomed the news: "I'm so happy that Morrisons are going to start putting warnings on their nappy sacks. I think it's such a big step in the right direction of getting all manufacturers to use the new guidelines."