The National Audit Office (NAO) has been undertaking a review of the product safety system in the UK.

Further to that, the NAO has published its report into this issue, which includes reference to the work of the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). The NAO’s report recognises the significant progress made in the three years since OPSS was established, and provides insight on what still needs to be done.

Government will use its recommendations as they develop a new regulatory framework to “protect consumers and ensure businesses understand their legal obligations”. BEIS will be responding to the findings in more detail in the coming weeks

The report on Protecting Consumers from Unsafe Products can be accessed here. It covers: 

• preventing unsafe goods from being purchased – by setting appropriate product requirements, ensuring businesses comply with those requirements, and influencing consumers to avoid buying unsafe goods 
• responding to product safety problems – by identifying problems as they arise, intervening quickly to address them, and learning from experience to make future interventions as effective as possible
• adapting to new and changing risks – including those arising from EU Exit and technological developments.