The safety of all consumer products, whether they are sold as new or second hand, is controlled by a range of product specific and general product safety regulations.
Many of these place legal duties on manufacturers, importers, distributors as well as retailers.
London Trading Standards are responsible for enforcement of the law. We can visit businesses to inspect goods and to take samples for testing to ensure that items are safe and labelled correctly.
Examples of products controlled by specific regulations include;
- Cosmetics
- Electrical goods
- Fireworks
- Pushchairs
- Toys
- Upholstered furniture
Breaching safety regulations and selling unsafe products can lead to prosecution as well as civil liability for any damages or injuries. On conviction fines and a term of imprisonment can be imposed.
Further information
- Advice for business – from the business companion website
- Report suspect products to trading standards via Citizens Advice