Geelong businesses are being warned to put product safety first, with thousands of unsafe items crushed following targeted inspections.

Victorian Minister for Consumer Affairs Marlene Kairouz joined Member for Geelong, Christine Couzens, to crush more than 2,500 banned or unsafe products seized from businesses in the region since 2010.

Kids’ toys make up the majority of the products, and include projectiles that can cause serious eye injuries, water toys that pose a drowning risk and battery operated toys that present a choking hazard.

Unsafe cots, kids’ nightwear, portable swimming pools and a monkey bike are also among items destroyed.

Consumer Affairs Victoria inspectors monitor for any products that breach Australia’s strict mandatory safety standards, and educate traders about their responsibilities under the Australian Consumer Law.

Suppliers that fail to comply with a mandatory safety standard can face fines of up to $220,000 for individuals and $1.1 million for a body corporate.

Throughout 2016, Consumer Affairs Victoria inspectors in the Barwon South West region conducted 146 inspections and seized more than 300 non-compliant products.

Across Victoria, over 1,000 targeted inspections were conducted in 200 towns and suburbs, with 11,000 kids products among almost 70,000 items seized.