Phil Le Shirley, RoSPA's Product Safety Adviser, gives an update on a proposed new law designed to ensure the UK is better placed to address modern day safety issues.

The Bill

The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill will create the ability for the Government to introduce secondary legislation on a range of subjects.  It will cover a wide range of products including toys, fireworks, cosmetics and machinery.

Online marketplaces feature heavily in the Bill and is anticipated that button batteries and e-scooter/bike batteries will be some of the first product types considered for new secondary legislation when the Bill receives Royal Assent next year.

Our meeting with Lord Leong

In October the Policy Team met with Lord Leong and the team at The Department for Business who are sponsoring the Bill.  RoSPA pledged our support for the Bill and asked that data sharing and online marketplaces are afforded the priority they deserve.

What this could mean for RoSPA members

The Bill will allow information about products, for example instructions for use for to be supplied digitally, for example via QR code linking to a website. It will also allow the UK to manage regulatory changes pragmatically, adapting to new technological advances, such as Artificial Intelligence.  Members manufacturing or supplying products will be affected and RoSPA will keep you updated on developments as they happen.

You can find further information on the Bill here.
 

Phillip Le Shirley is a Senior Trading Standards Specialist and works as RoSPA's Product Safety Adviser.