Product safety and labelling requirements

General Product Safety Regulations 2005

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR) require that only safe products are supplied on the Great Britain market. These regulations apply to products intended for or likely to be used by consumers under reasonably foreseeable conditions.

General Product Safety Regulations 2005

Retailers must only sell products that are safe for consumers. You are responsible for ensuring products meet safety standards, even if you did not manufacture them. This includes conducting due diligence on suppliers.

Your responsibilities

As a retailer, you must:

Only supply products that are safe
Provide consumers with safety information
Monitor product safety and act on safety concerns
Cooperate with enforcement authorities
Report dangerous products to Trading Standards

Due diligence defence

To defend against prosecution, you must show you:

Took all reasonable steps to avoid selling unsafe products
Checked supplier credentials and product documentation
Kept records of safety checks and supplier information
Responded promptly to safety concerns

Product recalls

If you discover a product is unsafe:

Stop selling it immediately
Report to Trading Standards via Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)
Inform customers who bought the product
Offer refunds, repairs, or replacements
Keep records of recall actions taken

Specific product regulations

Many products have specific safety regulations:

Toys (Toys Safety Regulations 2011)
Electrical goods (Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations 2016)
Cosmetics (UK Cosmetic Products Regulation)
Furniture (Furniture and Furnishings Regulations 1988)

CE and UKCA marking

Many products require safety marking:

UKCA mark: UK Conformity Assessed mark for Great Britain
CE mark: Still accepted in GB until further notice; required for NI
Check if your products need conformity marking

Penalties for non-compliance

A fine of up to £20,000 (regulation 20)
Up to 12 months imprisonment
Product seizure and destruction
Civil liability for injuries caused

Supplier vetting: Implement supplier vetting process (request test certificates, conformity documentation)
Documentation records: Keep records of all suppliers, purchase orders, and safety documentation
Safety markings: Verify products carry appropriate safety markings (UKCA, CE where required)
Staff training: Train staff to identify potentially unsafe products
Safety alerts monitoring: Set up system for monitoring product safety alerts and recalls
Recall procedure: Develop product recall procedure
Product Safety Database: Join Product Safety Database to receive alerts

Product safety for businesses

Report a dangerous product

UKCA and CE marking requirements

The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking is used for goods placed on the Great Britain market that were previously CE marked. It applies to specific 'new approach' goods in regulated categories such as toys, electrical equipment, and machinery.

Following an announcement in August 2023, use of the CE marking in Great Britain has been indefinitely extended. Businesses can continue using CE marking alongside or instead of UKCA marking for applicable products.

Geographic scope: Great Britain vs Northern Ireland

The GPSR 2005 apply to Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales). In Northern Ireland, these regulations were superseded on 13 December 2024 by EU Regulation on general product safety 2023/988.

The UKCA marking cannot be used alone for goods placed on the Northern Ireland market. Different requirements apply depending on your target market.

UKCA marking effective date

1 January 2021

CE marking extension

Indefinite (from August 2023)

Importer address deadline

31 December 2027

NI regulations effective date

13 December 2024 (EU Reg 2023/988)

Weights and measures compliance

If you sell goods by weight, measure, or volume, you must use certified weighing and measuring equipment. Pre-packaged goods must be accurately labelled with metric measurements.

Weights and Measures Act 1985

Requires retailers selling goods by weight, measure, or number to use accurate, certified measuring equipment. Protects consumers from short measure and ensures fair trading.

When you need certified weighing equipment

If you sell goods by weight or measure in any of these situations, you need certified equipment:

Selling loose goods by weight (fruit, vegetables, cheese, deli counter)
Pre-packing goods for direct sale
Making up orders by weight
Selling fuel by volume (petrol, diesel)

Equipment certification

Weighing and measuring equipment used for trade must:

Be approved for trade use (look for approval markings)
Pass initial verification before first use
Be re-verified at specified intervals (typically annually)
Display valid verification stamps

Packaged goods regulations

Pre-packaged goods must:

State the weight or volume on the package
Meet the 'three packers' rules' for quantity accuracy
Use metric units (grams, kilograms, litres, millilitres)
Include 'e' mark if average system used (most common for pre-packed goods)

The 'e' mark system

If using average quantity system:

The average of the batch must not be less than the nominal quantity
Not more than 2.5% of packages may be deficient by more than one tolerable negative error
No package may be deficient by more than twice the tolerable negative error

Metric and imperial measures

You must use metric measurements (grams, kilograms, litres). Imperial units (pounds, ounces, pints) can be shown alongside but must not be more prominent.

Exception: Draught beer and cider must be sold in permitted measures — a third, half or two-thirds of a pint, or multiples of half a pint.

Penalties

Trading Standards can issue Fixed Penalty Notices
Prosecution for using uncertified equipment
Fines for short measure
Equipment can be seized

Equipment purchase: Purchase trade-approved weighing equipment (check for approval markings)
Initial verification: Arrange initial verification before using scales for trade
Annual re-verification: Book annual re-verification inspections with certified inspector
Verification records: Keep records of verification certificates
Staff training: Train staff to use scales correctly and check they are functioning properly
Pre-packing quality control: If pre-packing goods, implement quality control checks for package weights
Metric display: Display metric measurements prominently (imperial can be supplementary)

Weights and measures guidance

Product safety and labelling requirements

Ensure product safety compliance for retailers

Comply with Trading Standards and Consumer Rights

General product safety requirements

Start a product-based business

Run a compliant retail business

General Product Safety Regulations 2005

UKCA and CE marking requirements

Geographic scope: Great Britain vs Northern Ireland

Weights and measures compliance

Product safety regulations and enforcement

Related guides in Consumer Rights

General Product Safety Regulations 2005

UKCA and CE marking requirements

Geographic scope: Great Britain vs Northern Ireland

Weights and measures compliance

Product safety regulations and enforcement