Product safety

As a consumer

You can:

• complain about a product to Citizens Advice: contact the consumer helpline
• register your product purchase at Register My Appliance
• check for product recalls at Gov.uk: product recalls and alerts

As a business

You need to understand the basics of product safety law if you make, import, distribute or sell products, including second hand products in the UK. 

You must comply with the regulations for specific product types, such as toys, cosmetics, gas, oil and electrical appliances, construction products, furniture, machinery, fireworks, and personal protective equipment (PPE). For the full A-Z list, see Gov.uk: product safety for businesses - A to Z of industry guidance.

If no specific laws apply to the product, you must comply with the General Product Safety Regulations.

UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) Marking

UKCA marking shows that the product has been checked for the relevant requirements to be sold in Great Britain - see Gov.uk: UKCA marking - conformity assessment and documentation.

What if something goes wrong

Manufacturers and sometimes others people involved in a product's supply chain, are liable for their products under the Consumer Protection Act 1987. If the product is unsafe and causes personal injury or death to any person, or damage to private property, they could be sued for compensation. You may want to consider insurance cover for this.

If a manufacturer discovers that a product it has sold represents a safety risk, they must take action to resolve the issue. This could include issuing new instructions, modifying the product, or telling customers to stop using it and return it for a refund. The manufacturer must contact all the consumers it knows are affected to tell them and explain what they should do.

Other information

• Business Companion: general produce safety - producers
• Gov.uk: get help and support for your business
• Office for Product Safety & Standards

What we do

We visit and monitor a wide range of premises including:

• shops, car boot sales, Sunday markets, one day sales
• manufacturers, suppliers, warehouses, importers
• door to door sales of products
• online distance selling platforms

We inspect goods and take samples for testing to ensure that items are safe and are correctly labelled and presented with any instructions that may be needed for safe use.

We can act if products are unsafe or fail to comply with consumer protection laws.