New General Product Safety Regulation and Risk Management Training Course

We are pleased to announce that our new General Product Safety Regulation and Risk Management training course is now available for booking.

The General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC has been revised to update and modernize the general framework for the safety of non-food consumer products. With the transition to the new regulation now complete, we are launching a new training course.

When was the new General Product Safety Regulation published?

The European Union published Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on General Product Safety in the Official Journal of May 23, 2023. This new regulation replaces and repeals General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC and 87/357/EEC, and amends Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 and Directive 2020/1828.

The General Product Safety Regulation entered into force on June 13, 2023. There was an 18-month transition period before the new regulation was applied on December 13, 2024.

What is the aim of the regulation?

General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC preserves its role as a safety net for consumers and a means of ensuring a level playing field for businesses. The publication is now a regulation, rather than a directive, and imposes clear and detailed rules without risks of divergent transposition by member states.

This directive was key to ensuring the safety of consumer products. However, it has been noted that too many products that do not comply with the current safety requirements are still circulating on the EU market. In addition to causing essential safety problems, this has proved costly for consumers and society. Costs include health costs due to product-related accidents and additional costs relating to the circulation of dangerous products.

The change in regulation applies to products placed or made available on the European market, whether new, used, repaired or reconditioned, especially if there are no specific provisions with the same objective of safety under Union law.

Within the EU, the New General Product Safety Regulation applies to all products that are supplied or made available and are intended for or are likely to be used by consumers (even if not intended for them). Examples include:

• Nursery and juvenile products
• Leisure, exercise and sporting goods
• Household goods, such as kitchen and cookware
• DIY products
• Furniture and soft furnishings
• Hobby and art materials

What's covered in the course?

This course  will provide an understanding of how the new regulation works in the UK and EU. In particular, it will examine the impact of the changes. It will also look at how you can assess and manage risk in your product ranges as well as the new risk assessment requirements.

Topics covered:

• The new General Product Safety Regulation
• Managing risks and hazards
• How to risk assess your products and carry out a risk assessment
• Common fails and recent EU and UK recalls
• Q&A

Training will be on January 29, 2025 at our Leicester lab or, per request, via Microsoft Teams.

Visit our Hardlines web page for more information on our range of services in this area here.

For further information, please contact:

Rob Hinchcliffe
UK Hardlines Manager
Connectivity & Products
United Kingdom 
t: +44 (0)151 350 6666