Smarter regulation: UK product safety review

Since issuing a call for evidence in 2021, we have developed proposals for consultation, setting out the next steps in delivering on the government’s ambitions. In summary, we want to develop a product safety regime that:

1. Ensures business obligations are proportionate to the hazard presented by their products, exploring how to reduce compliance costs for lower risk products and make the conformity assessment process easier where possible.

2. Shifts the balance between regulations and industry-led standards to enable a more agile and responsive regulatory framework, allowing business greater scope to innovate when producing safe products.

3. Uses digital solutions, such as voluntary e-labelling, to reduce business costs and explore how digital options can be utilised to reduce burdens.

4. Addresses concerns regarding the ease with which unsafe products can be sold online, creating a fairer playing field so that shopping online is as safe as on the high street.

5. Enhances the leadership and coordination role of the Office for Product Safety and Standards alongside addressing identified enforcement gaps.

We want to ensure the new product safety framework works well both for consumers and business, and so we are seeking views from all stakeholders to help develop and design the detail of our new framework. We are particularly keen to hear from:

• consumers and consumer organisations, including those who work with vulnerable consumers or under-represented groups
• small businesses and those in emerging sectors, such as artificial intelligence
• businesses who have recent experience of bringing new or innovative products to market
• businesses operating new or innovative ways of bringing products to consumers, including sharing economy models or eCommerce
• conformity assessment bodies, particularly those who have recently worked with any of the above businesses
• local authorities and national regulators that have enforcement duties under product safety and related legislation

See our news story: OPSS consults on smarter regulations in boost for business