Product safety advice for businesses supplying goods in Northern Ireland

Manufacturers and importers placing products on the UK market need to demonstrate that they comply with relevant safety requirements. This process involves:

• minimising the risks associated with the product at the design stage
• generating and keeping records of associated technical documentation
• ensuring factory production controls are implemented
• placing appropriate labelling on the product
• providing instructions on how to use it safely

Using agreed standards covering aspects of the product or its production process – where these exist – is one way to demonstrate compliance.

If your business sells consumer products in the UK, you must not sell products that you know – or should have known – are unsafe.

You need to keep records identifying the suppliers of the products you sell to allow their origins to be traced.

When informed of any safety risks or consumer incidents related to a product you’ve sold, you have a legal duty to report these to the manufacturer, supplier or your local Environmental Health Department. If you don’t do this, you could become liable in the event of harm to a person or damage to property.

Read more about product compliance when placing certain goods on the Northern Ireland market.