Karlton Donaghey · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 23 Oct 2023•Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside

Published report and response evidence

This report’s concerns and statements found in recipients’ published responses. Statements are included even where no link to an individual concern is recorded. A link shows an evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
3

Raised in this report

Recipients
2

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 2 recipients

Stated actions
4

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised3

  1. Lack of awareness among parents and child supervisors of the risks posed by helium-filled balloons to young children
  2. Unrestricted availability of helium-filled balloons at children's entertainment venues
    Part of recurring concern: Uncontrolled public access to helium products
  3. Failure of helium-filled balloons to display warnings about potential risks to young children

Stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.4

  1. Office for Product Safety and Standards

    Consider restricting the designation of EN71 because it lacks helium inhalation warnings.

  2. Office for Product Safety and Standards

    Write to the British Standards Institution recommending consideration of updating EN71 to address helium inhalation risks to children.

  3. Office for Product Safety and Standards

    Write to Local Authority Trading Standards authorities advising them of the risks from helium-filled balloons.

  4. Office for Product Safety and Standards

    Write to relevant trade organisations about helium-filled balloon risks and ask them to help ensure industry compliance with the Toys (Safety) Regulations.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.1

  1. Office for Product Safety and Standards

    Responsibility for toy safety rests with businesses placing toys on the market, while voluntary standards only help demonstrate regulatory compliance.

    Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of awareness among parents and child supervisors of the risks posed by helium-filled balloons to young children

Wider context from the report

“- the balloon which caused the death are freely available to purchase without restriction, particularly at locations of places of entertainment for children. - Parents and those responsible for supervision of children are not fully aware of the risks posed to young children of helium filled balloons. - the balloon in question displayed no warning as to the potential risk to young children ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Unrestricted availability of helium-filled balloons at children's entertainment venues

Wider context from the report

“- the balloon which caused the death are freely available to purchase without restriction, particularly at locations of places of entertainment for children. - Parents and those responsible for supervision of children are not fully aware of the risks posed to young children of helium filled balloons. - the balloon in question displayed no warning as to the potential risk to young children ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Uncontrolled public access to helium products.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure of helium-filled balloons to display warnings about potential risks to young children

Wider context from the report

“- the balloon which caused the death are freely available to purchase without restriction, particularly at locations of places of entertainment for children. - Parents and those responsible for supervision of children are not fully aware of the risks posed to young children of helium filled balloons. - the balloon in question displayed no warning as to the potential risk to young children ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Consider restricting the designation of EN71 because it lacks helium inhalation warnings.

Verbatim wording from the response

“OPSS has powers to restrict designated standards and we are considering placing a restriction on EN71 given the current absence of helium inhalation warnings. We would set out our rationale for this restriction with accompanying guidance aimed at ensuring compliance with the TSR.”

Source location

Response from Product Safety and Standards
Page 2 · response
Published 31 October 2023

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Write to the British Standards Institution recommending consideration of updating EN71 to address helium inhalation risks to children.

Verbatim wording from the response

“OPSS will write to the British Standards Institution, as the UK’s national standards setting body, to recommend it considers updating the standard to reflect the risks of helium inhalation to children.”

Source location

Response from Product Safety and Standards
Page 2 · response
Published 31 October 2023

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Write to Local Authority Trading Standards authorities advising them of the risks from helium-filled balloons.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We will write to relevant trade organisations such the British Toy and Hobby Association and the British Retail Consortium to advise them of OPSS’ concerns about the risks posed by helium-filled balloons, and ask them to help ensure the industry is meeting its obligations in the TSR. We will also write to Local Authority Trading Standards authorities advising them of the risks from these products.”

Source location

Response from Product Safety and Standards
Page 2 · response
Published 31 October 2023

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Write to relevant trade organisations about helium-filled balloon risks and ask them to help ensure industry compliance with the Toys (Safety) Regulations.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We will write to relevant trade organisations such the British Toy and Hobby Association and the British Retail Consortium to advise them of OPSS’ concerns about the risks posed by helium-filled balloons, and ask them to help ensure the industry is meeting its obligations in the TSR. We will also write to Local Authority Trading Standards authorities advising them of the risks from these products.”

Source location

Response from Product Safety and Standards
Page 2 · response
Published 31 October 2023

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Responsibility for toy safety rests with businesses placing toys on the market, while voluntary standards only help demonstrate regulatory compliance.

Verbatim wording from the response

“While standards are voluntary they can be used by businesses to help demonstrate how they comply with the law. The government is able to ‘designate’ certain voluntary standards which, when followed by manufacturers of relevant products, confer on those products a rebuttable presumption of conformity with relevant regulations. Overriding this, as above, is the essential safety requirement that all toys placed on the market are safe when it is reasonably foreseeable that they are intended to be used by children. While designated standards can help manufacturers understand and meet their obligations in those regulations, the responsibility of safety rests with those who place toys on the market. OPSS has identified that the Toy Safety Standard EN71, which is currently designated, does not require warnings to be provided on helium-filled balloons about the risks of helium inhalation.”

Source location

Response from Product Safety and Standards
Page 2 · response
Published 31 October 2023

Open published response
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026