Environmental Health Officers enforce product safety legislation that pertains to consumer products. There are two main pieces of legislation dealing with the safety of consumer products:
General product safety regulations: Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (Business Guidance)
From 13 December 2024, there are changes to general product safety rules in Northern Ireland (NI). The changes are summarised in the factsheet and detailed in the guidance provided via the link above.
EU Regulation 2023/988 on General Product Safety supersedes the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 in NI on 13 December 2024.
This guidance is for businesses placing products on the market in NI.
It will assist your understanding of the regulations and includes obligations for manufacturers and their authorised representatives, importers, distributors, fulfilment service providers and the providers of online marketplaces.
The regulations require all consumer products within scope to be safe and applies whether they are new, used, repaired or reconditioned.
Assessment of whether a product is safe includes considering aspects of it such as its characteristics, design, technical features, composition, packaging, instructions for assembly and installation, use and maintenance.
However, a range of product specific legislation exists that pertains to specific consumer products. Some examples are given below:
The product specific legislation accessed via the example links above, may not necessarily include all relevant amendments and therefore you should consult www.legislation.gov.uk
Officers of the Environmental Health Service undertake the following activities in relation to product safety:
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Proactive inspections of businesses;
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Providing advice and support to businesses;
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Product safety surveys;
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Product safety sampling;
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Investigation of consumer complaints.
You may also find the links below to organisations who have other consumer related roles, to be of interest:
Contact Details
For further information contact the Health & Safety and Consumer Protection Team:
📞 028 71253253