Children's helmets recalled after safety failures

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Almost 11,000 children's helmets sold at Kmart stores across New Zealand have been recalled after tests showed they failed to meet safety standards.

The helmets have straps that could fail to hold the protective head gear in place in a fall or accident, the department store said today.

The recall affects 100,000 helmets sold across Australia and New Zealand in the last two years.

"Following a customer return of a damaged helmet, Kmart's quality team conducted an investigation into the basic kids skate helmet range sold in Kmart stores," the company said in a statement.

The helmets were tested by three different laboratories, but the results were "inconsistent".

However, it was enough to recall the product as a precautionary measure, Kmart said.

No injuries had been reported, it said.

A total of 10,993 of the kid's helmets were sold in New Zealand between October 2012 and April 2014. They were designed for use with skate-boards, bicycles and scooters, and came in a range of colours and patterns.

Anyone who bought one of the affected helmets is asked to return it to their nearest store for a full refund. No receipt is necessary.

Kmart has stores in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Hastings, Nelson, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

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RECALLED HELMETS:

* Model number, which can be found on a sticker on the inside of the helmet: FM-170/2500

* Descriptions include:

Skate helmet black S/M, XS/S

Skate helmet pink S/M, XS/S

Skate helmet splat S/M, XS/S

Skate helmet camo S/M, XS/S

Roller Derby skate helmet S/M

* Customers can contact Kmart on 0800 945 995 for further queries.