Business
Product Safety
Regulation / Acts / Directives
Details of product safety legislation in force in the UK can be found by clicking on the following links -:
- EU enacted legislation
- EU guidance on regulations can be found at New Approach Directives
- The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 catches any product not caught by product specific EU legislation, or UK based legislation.
- The Consumer protection Act 1987 brings into force UK technical legislation which has not been harmonised within the EU. A list of the technical regulations enforced by Trading Standards can be found here UK Technical regulations
(5KB - pdf help) . The Act also provides protection for consumers in the event of a defective product causing harm therefore giving rise for damages claims within the civil court; further information can be found at ‘Unsafe goods - liability for damage or injury'.
Product Specific Guidance Documents and websites
- Guidance for Businesses on the operation of commercial Sunbeds
- Sunbeds - A page jointly created by Devon Trading Standards, Devon Primary care Trust and Environmental Health
- the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2009 (CHIP)
- Cosmetics
- Electrical Equipment
- DTi guidance (209KB - pdf help)
- DTi guidance
- Electromagnetic compatibility (relates to electrical equipment)
- DTi guidance (157KB - pdf help)
- DTi guidance
- Fireworks and Explosives
- Furniture
- BIS guidance (357KB - pdf help)
- BIS guidance
- Gas Appliances
- DTi guidance (248KB - pdf help)
- DTi guidance
- General Product Safety
- Machinery
- BIS guidance (421KB - pdf help)
- BIS guidance
- Personal Protective Equipment
- DTi guidance (208KB - pdf help)
- DTi guidance
- Plugs and sockets
- DTi guidance (154KB - pdf help)
- DTi guidance
- REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & restriction of Chemicals)
- Recreational Craft
- DTi guidance (294KB - pdf help)
- Trading Standards guidance (19KB - pdf help)
- DTi guidance
- Toys - All new toys placed on the market from 19 August 2011 need to comply with the Toy Safety Regulations 2011. The new regulations were transposed into UK law as a result of the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC.
Product conformity standards
All products caught by product specific legislation will be required to meet the essential safety requirements. A producer or importer can demonstrate a product meets these requirements by carrying out the appropriate tests as set out in the relevant standard/s, if applicable.
A list of EU harmonised standards can be found at ‘EU Harmonised standards and Directives’.The British Standards Institute, is the UK’s national standards body who can provide copies of standards which relate to specific product types at www.bsigroup.com.
