Consumer Protection

CONSUMER PROTECTION

What is Consumer Protection?

Consumer Protection involves ensuring all goods on sale to the public are SAFE for their intended use.

The responsibility to supply safe consumer goods applies all the way down from the manufacturer to the retailer. This means, that products being sold should comply with any relevant legislation or recognised safety standard.

The main pieces of legislation dealing with the safety of consumer goods are:-

• The Consumer Protection Act 1987              
• The General Product Safety Regulations 2005

These cover most goods.  However, there are some exceptions such as cars and medicinal products.

In addition to the 2 pieces of legislation above, there are over 60 specific regulations and 100s of recognised safety standards covering product safety.  These include:-

• toys
• bicycles
• electrical equipment
• furniture
• tyres
• cosmetics
• nightwear
• hoodcords
• pushchairs
• babies dummies.

The following links provide more detailed guidance on various aspects of Consumer Protection:

• The Role of Environmental Health Officers
• What to look for when buying goods
• What to do if you have bought an unsafe product
• Product Safety in rented accommodation
• Links and contacts
• Tobacco Sales
• Child Safety Week
• Toy Safety
• Fireworks
• Home Safety