Consumer Protection
WHAT IS CONSUMER PROTECTION?
Many people are injured each year due to faulty consumer goods. Consumer Protection involves ensuring all goods on sale to the public are SAFE for their intended use.
The responsibility to supply safe consumer goods applies all the way down from the manufacturer to the retailer. This means, that products being sold should comply with any relevant legislation or recognised safety standard.
The main pieces of legislation dealing with the safety of consumer goods are:-
The Consumer Protection Act 1987
The General Product Safety Regulations 2005
In addition to the 2 pieces of legislation above, there are over 60 specific regulations and 100s of recognised safety standards covering product safety. These include:-
Toys
Bicycles
Electrical equipment 
Furniture
Tyres
Cosmetics
Nightwear
Hoodcords
Pushchairs
Babies dummies.
The following links provide more detailed guidance on various aspects of Consumer Protection:
The Role and powers of Environmental Health Officers
What to look for when buying goods
What to do if you have brought an unsafe product
For further information please contact:
Environmental Health
Telephone: 028 9335 8071
E-Mail: sec2.envhealth@carrickfergus.org
