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Product safety quick compliance check

Rapid product safety self-assessment: verify safety obligations, marking, documentation, traceability, and recall readiness for products on the UK market.

Retail & Consumer Goods Manufacturing & Engineering Running Updated 3 November 2026

Product safety quick compliance check

Use this quick check to verify your business meets UK product safety obligations. Work through each section to confirm compliance or identify gaps requiring action.

Are your products safe?

Confirm that every product you place on the UK market meets the essential safety requirements for its category. Products must be safe under normal and reasonably foreseeable conditions of use.

General product safety requirements

The GPSR requires all consumer products to be safe. You must assess risks, apply relevant UK designated standards, and ensure products do not pose a danger to consumers.

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR) require all consumer products placed on the GB market to be safe. They apply to products not covered by sector-specific safety regulations (such as toys, electrical equipment, or cosmetics which have their own rules).
The Regulations impose duties on both producers (manufacturers, own-branders, importers) and distributors (retailers, wholesalers) to ensure only safe products reach consumers.

Geographic scope

Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)

Products covered

All consumer products not covered by sector-specific safety legislation

General safety requirement

Only safe products may be placed on the market or supplied to consumers

Enforcement authority

Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and local Trading Standards

Maximum penalty (conviction on indictment)

Fine up to £20,000 and/or imprisonment up to 12 months (regulation 20(1))

Summary conviction penalty

Fine up to the statutory maximum and/or imprisonment up to 3 months (regulation 20(1))

Statutory maximum fine

Unlimited in England and Wales for offences from 12 March 2015; £10,000 in Scotland

Definition of a safe product
A product is safe if, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use (including duration and where applicable putting into service, installation, and maintenance), it presents no risk or only minimum risks compatible with the product's use, considered acceptable and consistent with a high level of protection for consumers.

Normal use

Product must be safe during normal intended use

Foreseeable use

Product must be safe during reasonably foreseeable use (including misuse)

Vulnerable users

Safety assessment must consider risks to children and vulnerable users

Presumption of conformity

Compliance with designated UK standards creates presumption of safety

Designated standards

British Standards Institution (BSI) standards approved by the Secretary of State

General Product Safety Regulations 2005 - GOV.UK guidance (opens in a new tab)

Product safety advice for businesses (opens in a new tab)

Product compliance checklist for GB market

Quick checklist to verify your products meet GB market requirements for conformity marking, safety assessment, documentation, and traceability before placing goods on the market.
Is marking correct?

Verify that your products carry the correct conformity marking for the UK market. In Great Britain, use the UKCA mark; for products covered by 21 product regulations, CE marking is an alternative with no end date. CE marking is also valid in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.

UK Declaration of Conformity

A UK Declaration of Conformity must accompany every product requiring conformity assessment. It identifies the product, applicable regulations, standards applied, and the responsible person in the UK.

A UK Declaration of Conformity (UK DoC) is the manufacturer's statement that a product meets the applicable UK product regulations. The manufacturer, or an authorised representative if one has been appointed, draws it up once satisfied that the product complies, and it forms part of the technical documentation.

Who draws it up

Manufacturer or authorised representative

When

Before the product is placed on the market

Retention

10 years from each product being placed on the market

Who keeps a copy

Manufacturer; importer

Available to

Enforcing authorities on request

What the declaration may include
The contents vary by regulation, so check the product regulations for your product. A UK declaration may include the following.

Business details

Name and full business address of the manufacturer or authorised representative

Product identification

Serial number, model or type

Responsibility statement

The manufacturer takes full responsibility for the product's compliance

Approved body

Details of any approved body involved

Legislation

UK legislation, or recognised EU product regulations, the product meets

Standards

Designated (UK) or harmonised (EU) standards applied, with dates

Signatory

Name and signature of the authorised signatory

Date of issue

Date the declaration was drawn up

UKCA marking, conformity assessment and documentation - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
Is documentation complete?

Confirm you hold technical documentation, test reports, conformity declarations, and risk assessments for every product line. These must be available to enforcement authorities on request.

Record retention requirements

Where the product regulation sets a period, manufacturers and importers must keep technical documentation and the Declaration of Conformity for 10 years from the day each product is placed on the market. Enforcement authorities can request records at any time during this period.

Product regulations require manufacturers and importers to keep technical documentation and the UK Declaration of Conformity so they can show an enforcing authority that a product conforms. In the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 the period is 10 years beginning on the day each product is placed on the market, so the clock runs separately for each product, batch or unit supplied. Other product regulations typically use the same period; check the regulations for your product.

Technical documentation

10 years from each product being placed on the market

UK Declaration of Conformity

10 years from each product being placed on the market

Manufacturer monitoring register

At least 10 years from the entry being made

Who keeps the documentation

Manufacturer; importer; authorised representative where the mandate covers it

Product safety advice for businesses - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
Is traceability in place?
Verify you can trace every product through your supply chain. Manufacturers, importers, and distributors must be identifiable. Batch or serial numbers must allow identification of affected products in the event of a safety concern.
Traceability requirements

GPSR traceability requirements ensure every product can be traced back through the supply chain. Products must carry the manufacturer's name and address, batch or serial number, and the importer's details where applicable.
Traceability is essential for product safety. If a safety issue is identified, regulators and businesses must be able to trace the product back through the supply chain to identify affected batches and take corrective action.

Producer marking requirement

Name and address of producer must appear on product or packaging

Batch/lot identification

Product or packaging must enable identification of product batch

Alternative approach (importers)

Where marking individual products is not reasonable, importers may adopt alternative traceability ensuring products are traceable to source by consumers and regulators

Distributor records

Must keep records showing from whom goods were purchased

Wholesale distributor records

Must also record to whom goods were sold (if not retail)

Record retention period

GPSR 2005 sets no specific minimum period

Documentation for traceability
Keep enough documentation to trace products through the supply chain. It should show:
From whom goods were purchased (supplier details)
To whom goods were sold (if wholesale)

Product identification (batch, lot, or other reference)
Dates of transactions
Retail product safety compliance

Sector-specific product safety guidance for retailers, including due diligence and supplier verification.
Are you recall-ready?
Confirm you have a product recall procedure in place. You must be able to withdraw or recall unsafe products promptly and tell an enforcement authority in writing straight away if you know a product is unsafe. Delays in reporting safety issues can result in enforcement action.
Supply chain roles and obligations

Your recall obligations depend on your role in the supply chain. Manufacturers bear primary responsibility, but importers and distributors must also cooperate with recalls and notify authorities of known risks.
Product regulations in Great Britain give each business in the supply chain its own duties. The roles are manufacturer, authorised representative, importer and distributor, and one business can hold more than one role. The duties below follow the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016; other product regulations that use the same model set similar duties, so check the regulations for your product.

Defined roles

Manufacturer, authorised representative, importer, distributor

Worked example

Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016

Consumer products generally

General Product Safety Regulations 2005

Geographic scope

Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)

Manufacturer
The manufacturer carries the primary responsibility. It must:
design and manufacture the product to meet the safety objectives
carry out, or have carried out, the conformity assessment procedure
draw up technical documentation and a declaration of conformity before placing the product on the market, and keep them for 10 years beginning on the day the product is placed on the market
mark the product with its name or trade mark and a single postal address
provide clear instructions and safety information in easily understandable English
take corrective measures immediately if a product does not conform, and inform the market surveillance authority where it presents a risk
give an enforcing authority the information and documentation needed to show conformity when asked

Authorised representative
A manufacturer may appoint an authorised representative established in the UK by a written mandate. The mandate must cover at least the duty to keep the technical documentation and declaration of conformity and the duty to provide information and cooperate with authorities. Design and manufacture, and drawing up the technical documentation, cannot be part of the mandate. The manufacturer stays responsible for the proper performance of every duty it passes on.

Importer
An importer places products from outside the UK on the GB market. Before doing so it must:
check that the conformity assessment has been done, the technical documentation drawn up, and the manufacturer has met the labelling rules
not place a product on the market that does not conform, and inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authority if it presents a risk
put its own name or trade mark and a postal address on the product, or on the packaging or an accompanying document if that is not possible
keep storage and transport conditions from jeopardising conformity
keep the technical documentation and declaration of conformity for 10 years beginning on the day the product is placed on the market, and make them available to an enforcing authority on request
take corrective measures, and inform the market surveillance authority of any risk, immediately

Distributor
A distributor must act with due care to ensure the product conforms. Before supplying it must check that the product has the required documents and instructions, and that the manufacturer and importer have met their labelling duties. It must not supply a product it believes does not conform until it has been brought into conformity, and must inform the manufacturer or importer and the market surveillance authority if there is a risk. It must also keep storage and transport conditions from compromising conformity, ensure corrective measures are taken for non-conforming products it has supplied, and cooperate with enforcing authorities.

An importer or distributor takes on the manufacturer's obligations if it places a product on the market under its own name or trade mark, or modifies a product in a way that may affect its conformity.

Product safety advice for businesses - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
Understand UK product safety law

Three sets of rules can apply to the same product failure: a duty to supply only safe consumer products, strict liability for injury or damage caused by a defective product, and criminal offences enforced by Trading Standards.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland product marking

Northern Ireland follows different marking rules. Under the Windsor Framework, CE marking remains valid for products placed on the Northern Ireland market. Products manufactured in Northern Ireland can use CE marking to sell into the EU without additional conformity assessment.

Products moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland may need additional checks. If you sell into both GB and NI markets, ensure you apply the correct marking for each.

Placing manufactured goods on the NI market (opens in a new tab)

Next steps

If you answered 'no' or 'unsure' to any check above, use the detailed guides to close your compliance gaps before enforcement action is taken.

Take note

Report unsafe products immediately: If you become aware that a product you have placed on the market is unsafe, you must tell an enforcement authority in writing straight away. Failure to report is a criminal offence under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.

Official guidance

General Product Safety Regulations 2005 - detailed guidance (opens in a new tab)

Publication · OPSS · Great Britain

Product safety quick compliance check

Product safety quick compliance check

Are your products safe?

Product compliance checklist for GB market

Is marking correct?

Is documentation complete?

Is traceability in place?

Retail product safety compliance

Are you recall-ready?

Understand UK product safety law

Next steps

Official guidance

Next steps

Growing your business

Start importing goods to the UK

Transfer ownership of your business

Related journeys

Start selling products on the UK market

Product compliance checklist for GB market

Respond to a product safety incident

Respond to a Trading Standards investigation