Product safety

Product safety - advice from the Trading Standards team.

General safety

There are safety rules created for specific products, and there is a catch all regulation called the General Product Safety Regulations.

The latter, like most recent rules, places the greatest burden on the manufacturer or importer to ensure the goods are safe. If you go on line and buy something from outside the EU with a view to selling it on, you are the importer, and you are responsible for complying with the laws.

Even if you just retail, you still have responsibilities as a distributor, for example: storing the goods safely, keeping records of where you bought them, reporting any obvious concerns and not selling goods you have reason to suspect are dangerous.

For more details check the Business Companion website, and if you cannot find the information then please contact us on 020 7361 3002 or email [email protected].

Unsafe goods and product recalls

Sometimes products have to be recalled by the manufacturer, usually for safety reasons.

Visit the Electrical Safety First webpge which has information about recalls of electrical goods. It also allows you to register your electrical goods, so that you are told if the model is withdrawn.

Up-to-date information about recalls, including goods in general and food, is available on the Trading Standards product recalls webpage.

Cath Kidstone have asked for our help to publicise a recall of one of their products. Find out more on the Cath Kidston product recall webpage.

How overloaded are you?

Just how many electrical products do you use on an extension lead? To help you, the Electrical Safety Council have produced a simple calculator tool to help you work out whether you are endangering yourself by overloading your extension lead. If you are concerned about any electrical product you have please seek advice.

If you have safety concerns please contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or complete a consumer enquiry form online.