The UK Office for Product Safety and Standards report on Product Safety Testing 2020 – 2024 has just been published (9th of April 2025)
Key findings for 2023-24:
- 580 (83%) of products tested between 2023 and 2024 were found to be non-compliant with relevant legislation and standards requirements.
- Based on the findings, a wide range of actions were recorded on the Product Safety Database from recall of products to removal of listings by online marketplaces.
- 100% (of 15 samples) of upholstered furniture were non-compliant
- 86% (of 262 samples) of cosmetics were non-compliant
- 89% (of 103 samples) of electrical items were non-compliant
The Sampling Protocol allows UK Local Authorities to test purchase and assess the compliance of products that are placed on the market by businesses operating in their area.
It should be noted that the rate of product compliance reflects the products assessed as part of this specific programme, not the overall level of compliance of all products. Product compliance rates cannot be used to estimate compliance at a national level as local authorities tend to take into account local knowledge and intelligence to test products that have raised safety concerns. Therefore, the products tested cannot be considered a random sample. It does highlight non-compliance of products that are found on the UK market.
The products tested in 2023/24 were:
- 38% Cosmetics
- 26% Toys
- 15% Electrical
- 7% Candles
- 4% Nursery products
- 2% Upholstered furniture
- 8% General consumer products
Non-compliance rates by product type in 2023-24:
| Product Type | % Non-compliant |
| Cosmetics | 86% |
| Toys | 77% |
| Electrical | 89% |
| General Consumer Products | 91% |
| Candles | 79% |
| Nursery Products | 77% |
| Upholstered Furniture | 100% |
What caused the non-compliances?:
- 55% of cosmetics were non-compliant due to labelling failures and a further 44% of cosmetics samples failed due to labelling AND a physical non-compliance.
- 48% of toys were non-compliant due to labelling failures and a further 48% of toys samples failed due to labelling AND a physical non-compliance.
- 84% of candle samples were non-compliant due to labelling.
Physical non-compliance can include: physical and mechanical failures, chemical / heavy metals, electrical safety, batteries and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances).
Corrective Actions:
Whilst product recall and product withdrawal were the main corrective actions recorded on the Product Safety Database, other actions included: seizure of goods, temporary ban on supply, removal of listings from online marketplaces, product brought back into compliance, product destruction, marking product with appropriate warnings.
For assistance with product safety compliance, email [email protected]
To read the full report, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opss-product-safety-testing-sampling-protocol-programme/product-safety-testing-sampling-protocol-programme-april-2020-march-2024#fn:5
