Scope of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR 2005), SI 2005/1803 provide the legal basis for ensuring that consumer products are safe to use in Great Britain. It contains the requirements and obligations for placing consumer products on the market in Great Britain.

In particular, GPSR 2005, SI 2005/1803:

1. •

   specifies that products placed on the market or supplied by producers and distributors must be safe

2. •

   defines what a safe product is

3. •

   imposes obligations on producers and distributors consistent with marketing safe products

4. •

   lays down a framework for assessing safety

5. •

   requires and empowers enforcement authorities to take action necessary to protect consumers from unsafe products

Since the UK left the EU, different rules apply to the placing on the market of consumer products in Northern Ireland and in the EU. For information on EU consumer protection laws, see: Regulation of products (EU Law)—overview and in particular, Practice Notes: The EU General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC and The EU General Product Safety Regulation.

GPSR 2005, SI 2005/1803