Ensure product safety compliance for retailers

Use this checklist to verify your product safety arrangements meet current legal requirements. Retailers are responsible for ensuring products they sell are safe, even if they did not manufacture them. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) enforces product safety law and can seize unsafe products, issue unlimited fines, and prosecute retailers.

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

Unlimited fines
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

Product Safety Notification (no licence required)

Product Safety Notification (no licence required) - Sale of specific goods (cosmetics, toys, electrical)

Regulator: Office For Product Safety Standards
Typical fee: None
Frequency: ongoing
Legal basis: General Product Safety Regulations 2005; Product Safety and Metrology Act 2022

No licence but mandatory compliance. Retailers must only sell safe products that comply with UK regulations. Must conduct due diligence. Keep records of suppliers. Report dangerous products to Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). CE/UKCA marking required for many products. Test reports may be required.

Preparing for the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025

The PRMA 2025 is an enabling Act that will update the UK product safety framework through secondary legislation. While detailed regulations are pending, retailers should prepare for new obligations, particularly around online marketplace duties and supply chain traceability.

Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 is an enabling Act that gives the Secretary of State powers to make secondary legislation on product safety, including new obligations for online marketplaces and fulfilment houses. It will replace the retained EU General Product Safety Regulation framework over time as secondary legislation is made.

What the Act does

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 is an enabling Act. It does not set out detailed product safety rules itself. Instead, it gives the Secretary of State powers to create secondary legislation (regulations) that will update the UK's product safety framework.

The Act replaces the framework previously based on retained EU law, including the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 and sector-specific regulations.

Key provisions

Product regulations: Powers to set safety requirements for products placed on the UK market
Online marketplace duties: New obligations for online marketplaces to ensure products sold through their platforms are safe
Supply chain responsibilities: Duties for fulfilment houses and other supply chain actors
Conformity assessment: Powers to update UKCA marking requirements and recognition of CE marking
Product recalls: Strengthened recall and market surveillance powers
Metrology: Powers to update weights and measures legislation

Online marketplace obligations

When secondary legislation is made, online marketplaces will be required to:

Take reasonable steps to prevent unsafe products being listed
Cooperate with enforcement authorities on product safety
Remove listings for unsafe products when notified
Provide information to consumers about product safety
Maintain records of sellers using the platform

Fulfilment house duties

Fulfilment houses storing and distributing consumer products will have duties to:

Verify product compliance documentation before storage
Ensure products carry required conformity markings
Cooperate with enforcement authorities
Keep records enabling product traceability

UKCA and CE marking

The Act gives powers to:

Update UKCA marking requirements for Great Britain
Extend or modify recognition of CE marking in Great Britain
Set conformity assessment procedures for different product categories

Until secondary legislation is made, current CE/UKCA marking rules continue to apply.

Current status

The Act received Royal Assent in 2025. Secondary legislation is pending — the detailed rules have not yet been made. Businesses should monitor announcements from the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) for updates on when specific regulations will come into force.

Act type: Enabling Act (framework powers for secondary legislation)
Royal Assent: 2025
Enforcement body: Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)
Secondary legislation status: Pending - detailed rules not yet made
Scope: All products placed on the UK market, including those sold via online marketplaces
Key change for retailers: Online marketplaces gain new duties to prevent unsafe product listings
Current marking rules: Existing CE/UKCA marking requirements remain in force until secondary legislation is made
Monitor for updates: Check OPSS announcements for commencement dates of secondary legislation

Office for Product Safety and Standards

Product safety guidance for businesses

If you answered 'no' to any items in the supplier vetting or recall procedures sections, address these as a priority. Selling unsafe products is a criminal offence with unlimited fines and up to 12 months imprisonment.

Official product safety guidance

Product safety for businesses
OPSS guidance on your responsibilities for selling safe products
gov.uk
Report a dangerous product
How to report unsafe products to OPSS
gov.uk
Product safety alerts and recalls
Check current product recalls and safety alerts
gov.uk
UKCA marking guidance
How to use the UKCA marking for products on the GB market
gov.uk

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Ensure product safety compliance for retailers

Preparing for the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025

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Preparing for the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025

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