Product safety reportOPSS
WITUSE Water Beads safety warning over a suffocation risk
Product Safety Report for WITUSE Water Beads presenting a serious asphyxiation.
Take it out of the cot or pram now, and put your baby to sleep on their back on a firm, flat surface.
Check your product
Only products that match these details are covered. Have your pack in front of you.
1 identifier listed for this notice.
WITUSE Water Beads
- ModelOn the rating label, base, back or box.
- EQF385
What to do now
The hazard with WITUSE Water Beads is suffocation or asphyxiation.
- Take it out of the cot or pram now, and put your baby to sleep on their back on a firm, flat surface.
- Keep it away from babies and young children.
- This is a safety report rather than a manufacturer recall: the listing has been taken down, but the seller may not contact you. Get in touch with the seller through the marketplace.
- Report it to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service if the seller does not respond.
Why it matters. Babies cannot move away from something covering their face. Pillows, padded sleeping bags and soft items in the cot are linked to sleep deaths, and that is why many of these products fail UK safety rules.
If someone has been hurt
Look out for
- a baby who seems to struggle to breathe
Get help urgently
- a baby or child who is not breathing or has turned blue — call 999 immediately
This is general information based on NHS public guidance, not medical advice. In an emergency call 999. For urgent advice use NHS 111 (NHS 24 on 111 in Scotland) or, in Northern Ireland, your GP or out-of-hours service.
Getting your money back
Contact the seller through your order history and say that the product is the subject of an OPSS safety report. Keep screenshots of the listing and your order.
If the seller does not respond, the marketplace’s own dispute process or your card provider is the next step.
From the official notice
Published by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (2510-0203). Quoted as issued.
Summary
Product Safety Report for WITUSE Water Beads presenting a serious asphyxiation.
The risk
The product presents a serious risk of asphyxiation because if the product is swallowed in its hydrated form it can block a young child’s airway.
OPSS has published a Product Safety Alert for water beads, which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/product-safety-alerts-reports-recalls/product-safety-alert-water-beads-psa7 .
The product does not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
Action taken
Consumers should keep this product out of the reach of young children and contact the distributor they purchased from for redress. The listing has been removed from the online marketplace (Grandado).
Advice to consumers
Consumers should keep this product out of the reach of young children and contact the distributor they purchased from for redress.
The listing has been removed from the online marketplace (Grandado).
Additional information
PSD notification number: 2510-0203
Notified by: Office for Product Safety and Standards
Product description
Clear bag of approximately 5,000 waterbeads.
Open the OPSS notice
Questions
Why has WITUSE Water Beads been reported?
The hazard with WITUSE Water Beads is suffocation or asphyxiation. Babies cannot move away from something covering their face. Pillows, padded sleeping bags and soft items in the cot are linked to sleep deaths, and that is why many of these products fail UK safety rules.
How do I know if my product is affected?
Compare the model on your product with the details listed under “Check your product” on this page. Only items that match are covered by the notice.
What should I do now?
Take it out of the cot or pram now, and put your baby to sleep on their back on a firm, flat surface. Keep it away from babies and young children.
Can I get a refund or a repair?
Contact the seller through your order history and say that the product is the subject of an OPSS safety report. Keep screenshots of the listing and your order. If the seller does not respond, the marketplace’s own dispute process or your card provider is the next step.
