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techUK Responds to Product Safety Inquiry

techUK has responded to MPs on product safety and recalls, by calling for a single portal for registrations and reaffirming the importance of CE marking.

techUK responded to the APPG on Home Electrical Safety inquiry into product recall and the impact of Brexit on product safety and you can read the report here. The inquiry has been overtaken by events at BEIS who set up the new Office for Prduct Safety & Standards and we look forward to finding out more detail about this new office. 

In the report we outline some specific challenges to product safety and key points are:

  • An increasing level of unsafe, non-compliant or counterfeit electrical goods and accessories (like chargers) are coming into the UK.
  • Unsafe and unauthorised repair operations jepoardise consumer safety and product  quality. 
  • There are safety impacts caused by cuts to Trading Standards officers and their ability to respond.
  • There needs to be a single, independent portal for product registrations that has consumer trust. 
  • Retail is probbaly the most logical place to capture purchase data for registrations and we support the desire for innovation on how this information is captured.
  • The need to understand whether the Data Protection Bill will encourage opting out of data sharing for recall purposes.

The inquiry further asked about the impact of Brexit on product safety and we make the following points:

  • Leaving the CE marking regime will impact product safety and the ability of Market Surveillance Authorities to act.
  • Leaving the Customs Union means it will be harder to send goods and spare parts around the EU for centralised repair. This could see more unauthorised and unsafe repairs.
  • How will BEIS and others co-operate internationally on portals like RAPEX and international recalls?
  • The UK needs to keep pace with the EU on product legislation so UK consumers aren't exposed to risks EU citizens are not. 

The full report can be read below.

TECHUK RESPONSE TO PRODUCT RECALL & SAFETY INQUIRY (PDF)

 

Channel website: http://www.techuk.org/

Original article link: http://www.techuk.org/insights/news/item/12304-product-safety-inquiry-response

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