Bolton Consultancy Ltd

The UK General Product Safety Regulations

The UK GPSR is the UK's implementation of the European Union General Product Safety Directive 2004 (2004/95/EC). The regulation was unchanged by the UK on leaving the EU.

A new European Regulation on general product safety was approved by the European Parliament and the Council on 10 May 2023, was published in the OJEC 23 May 2023, enters into force on the twentieth day following the date of publication and applies from 13 December 2024. See:     EU GENERAL PRODUCT SAFETY REGULATION

The UK General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR), requires all products to be safe or pose only the minimum of risk in normal use and foreseeable use for the life time of the product.  As a "Regulation" it has the force of law.

The GPSR does not replace product specific regulations, but does apply where it goes further than the existing regulations in terms of the specific aspects of safety covered. The GPS Regulations affect all persons who are involved as producers or distributors of products giving then particular responsibilities.

In the regulations the terms "producers" and "distributors" have particular meanings but in effect, this includes everyone involved in the manufacture and supply of consumer products. The GPSR provide no specific requirements for determining safety or "acceptable risk": this is the responsibility of the manufacturer, retailer, importer etc. to decide, but a product is presumed to conform to the general safety requirement if it is in compliance with the appropriate European and national legislation or standards.

There is in fact no presumption that an item that does not comply with European and national standards is automatically unsafe - European and National standards remain voluntary. However the producer/distributor will be obliged to demonstrate if challenged that the item is safe and the enforcement authorities to demonstrate that it is not. If an accident has occured this may be clear cut but otherwise this will be achieved through risk assessment.

To assure conformance with the GPSR you need to both carry out risk assessments and be prepared to recall product if problems arise.




Information Sheets

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GPSR
Risk Assessment

Cords & Strings

Flammability of
Nightwear