Electrical Safety First’s Product Safety Unit works to improve consumer safety by helping to prevent accidents, injuries and deaths resulting from the use of electrical products.
Working in partnership with industry, government and others we seek to facilitate, influence, educate and share best practice to help ensure the safety of electrical products to the general public. We aim to improve the standard of electrical products by:
- Tackling the problem of substandard and counterfeit electrical products.
- Working with Trading Standards to help remove unsafe products from the market.
- Working with and Fire and Rescue Services to help reduce the number of fires caused by electrical products.
- Raising awareness of the safety issues on the political stage.
- Providing safety information and advice to consumers on known and potential safety issues.
- Supporting manufacturers, retailers and importers to design and procure safer electrical products.
- Representing the interests of consumers to monitor, maintain and enhance product standards.
Product Testing and Screening
Electrical Safety First’s consumer protection role includes research into specific areas where we believe there is a potential for unsafe electrical products and appliances to be put on the market. We also carry out research into products and services that pose greatest risk to consumers.
Our product safety screening programme allows us to identify and communicate potential product safety issues, and to make a tangible contribution to market surveillance.
The findings are presented in reports detailing the results of testing and information that would help consumers make sensible buying decisions in relation to product safety. A summary of findings and recommendations are published on our website and in ‘Switched On’.
We follow up all the identified failures, liaising with the retailers and manufacturers concerned, and ensure that the relevant authorities informed of our actions at all times.