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Bradley Norrish has been found guilty of mispresentation for his first aid kit scam.

from: http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/Corporate/Media/statements/2005/September/First_aid_kits_selle.html

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Issue Date: - Monday, 12 September 2005
First aid kits seller guilty of misrepresentation

A promoter of mail order first aid kits has been found guilty of falsely implying his company had approval of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection.

Today the Perth Magistrates Court fined Bradley Stedman Norrish of Forrest Street, East Perth and his company Employment Protection Australia Pty Ltd a total of $14,200 with total costs of $4,525.

Mr Norrish was found guilty of two breaches of the Fair Trading Act for implying his company had approval of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection, and falsely representing that his first aid kits were compulsory. His company, Employment Protection Australia Pty Ltd, was found guilty of four breaches of the Fair Trading Act and one breach of the Consumer Affairs Act for similar misrepresentations.

Consumer Protection took action against Mr Norrish after he sent out about 20,000 unsolicited letters to small businesses and community groups in Western Australia, with the aim of selling first aid kits priced at $259.

The letters were headed “Employment Protection Australia” and included a logo of Australia with the characters “EPA”. The letters informed recipients that it was “now required by law that all employers and workplaces have an occupational safety and health compliant first aid supply”.

During its investigation into Mr Norrish’s activities last year, Consumer Protection intercepted letters held in a PO Box ready for collection and found 96 letters with money orders totalling $26,806.

“These letters were clearly aimed at duping small businesses and community groups into parting with their money,” Consumer Protection Commissioner Patrick Walker said.

“By using the name “Employment Protection Australia” and the logo which contained the letters “EPA”, many recipients believed they were dealing with a government agency and were required to buy the first aid kits.”

State Government Occupational Safety and Health Regulations require all workplaces to have comprehensive first aid materials that comply with legislation.

“The first aid materials must be suitable for the particular workplace,” Mr Walker said. “To suggest any first aid kit would suit all workplaces is blatantly misleading.”

Telephone 1300 30 40 54 or email consumer@docep.wa.gov.au

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