Government launches new Office for Product Safety and Standards
The Government has launched a new Office for Product Safety and Standards, which will be tasked with identifying consumer risks and managing responses to large-scale product recalls and repairs.
The new oversight body “will enable the UK to meet the evolving challenges of product safety by responding to expanding international trade, the growth in online shopping and the increasing rate of product innovation”, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said.
The Department said that in addition to providing support and advice for local authority Trading Standards teams, the office would co-ordinate work across local authorities where action was needed on a national scale and would ensure the UK continues to carry out appropriate border checks on imported products once the UK leaves the European Union.
The launch of the office, which will be based within BEIS and have an annual budget of around £12m, is part of the Government’s response to the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety.
Other actions as part of the Government’s response to the working group include:
- working with the British Standards Institution to provide guidance on product recalls and corrective action
- conducting research to help manufacturers and retailers develop technological solutions to product marking and identification
- increasing the reach of Primary Authority to further share business, local authority and BEIS expertise to help protect consumers
- researching consumer behaviour to identify the best way to drive up the number of consumers registering appliances with manufacturers
- creating an expert panel to bring together trade associations, consumer and enforcement representatives to advise on product safety issues as they arise
Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said: “The new Office for Product Safety and Standards will strengthen the UK’s already tough product safety regime and will allow consumers to continue to buy secure in the knowledge there is an effective system in place if products need to be repaired or replaced.”
There will be no changes to the roles and responsibilities of local authorities or other market surveillance authorities, BEIS said.
Responding to the Government’s announcement, Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “The LGA is pleased that its call for more support from government for local trading standards teams around product safety has been answered.
“[This] announcement is a positive step towards making sure that those teams are able to protect our residents from faulty electrical equipment, such as tumble dryers or fridge freezers, which can cause fires which can destroy life and devastate property.
“We look forward to seeing more detail on these proposals in due course, and are happy to work with the Government where we can to help make sure all electrical products are as safe as possible.”