- Enforced by
- OPSS, Trading Standards, MHRA
- Status
- In Force
- Penalty ceiling
- Imprisonment 4 of 15 obligations carry imprisonment (12 months). 1 carries different penalties and 10 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Does it bind you?
Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.
Plus 5 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.
Other Acts binding the same actors
If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.
Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts
Manufacturer — also bound by 502 other Acts
Trader — also bound by 825 other Acts
Distributor — also bound by 182 other Acts
What it requires
Regulations creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.
GENERAL
0 of 4 sections shown4 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
OBLIGATIONS OF PRODUCERS AND DISTRIBUTORS
4 of 5 sections shown- Ensure all products placed on the market are safeManufacturer
- Label products, monitor safety, and take action on risksManufacturer
- Do not supply or stock products you know to be dangerousDistributor
- Notify enforcement authority immediately about unsafe products and cooperate on recallsManufacturer
1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional
ENFORCEMENT
6 of 22 sections shownOther duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Local authorities and regulators must enforce product safety lawsLocal authority
- Organise product recall when served with a recall noticeTrader
- Appeal against a product safety noticeAny Person
- Breach of product safety regulations 5 or 8(1)(a)Any Person
- Fail to comply with a safety notice request for information or samplesAny Person
Unlimited fine
- Be held liable for another's product‑safety offenceAny Person
16 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
MISCELLANEOUS
5 of 16 sections shownOther duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State must report to Parliament on product safety enforcementCrown / Minister / Government department
- Provide specific details when notifying authorities of product risksTrader
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Authorities must carry out market surveillance of productsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Enforcement authorities must provide a product safety complaint procedureLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Enforcement authorities must cooperate and share expertiseStatutory regulator
11 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Help complying
Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.
Product compliance for manufacturers
Learn how to ensure your products meet UK safety and marking requirements before placing them on the market
Start selling products on the UK market
A comprehensive introduction to UK product safety compliance for businesses placing products on the GB market. Covers the legal framework (CPA 1987, …
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.
Respond to a product safety incident
Emergency guidance when you discover an unsafe product. Stop supply immediately, notify Trading Standards and OPSS, manage the recall, and understand your …
Understanding EU retained law for your business
Learn how EU law became UK law after Brexit and what this means for product compliance. Covers assimilated law, UKCA and CE …
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 …
AI product safety: how product liability law applies to AI
How existing UK product safety law applies to AI products and AI components embedded in physical goods. Explains the Consumer Protection Act …
Assess whether your product meets the general safety requirement
How to carry out a product safety risk assessment to determine whether your product meets the general safety requirement under the General …
Ensure product safety compliance for retailers
Product safety compliance checklist for retailers. Covers supplier vetting, safety marking verification, recall procedures, OPSS reporting, and preparation for the Product Regulation …
General product safety requirements
Understand your legal obligations under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 when placing consumer products on the GB market. Covers producer and …
How to manage a product recall
Step-by-step guidance for manufacturers, importers, and distributors on managing a product recall when a consumer product is found to be unsafe. Covers …
Importer responsibilities for the GB market
Legal responsibilities for importers placing products on the Great Britain market. Covers verifying manufacturer compliance, labelling obligations, storage and transport duties, responding …
Online marketplace product safety duties
What online marketplace operators need to do to comply with product safety law. Covers new duties under the Product Regulation and Metrology …
Product safety and labelling requirements
General Product Safety Regulations 2005, UKCA marking, weights and measures compliance, and labelling obligations for retailers selling in Great Britain.
43 more guides that reference this instrument
Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.