Safety Legislation
In terms of products sold to consumers the relevant legislation is The Consumer Protection Act 1987 and the The General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Both create a general duty on all suppliers of consumer goods to supply products that are safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. In addition, certain products are subject to specific, regulations, which set out detailed requirements about composition, labelling and instructions. For example under The Toys Safety Regulations 1995 toys must not have any sharp or spiky parts that could cause injury.
The main responsibly rests with the manufacturer or importer as they are the person putting the goods on the market. However, retailers also have an important role to play and must be proactive in monitoring product safety; co-operating with producers (e.g product recall) and contacting the authorities when unsafe products are discovered.
In Northern Ireland, Environmental Health Departments of Local District Councils are responsible for enforcing the above legislation. Suppliers who breach safety rules commit criminal offences and can be prosecuted.
