Product safety campaigns

Research suggests that at least 35 young children across the UK have died because of looped cords on blinds since 2001 as a result of strangulation. looped cords can be deadly if they get them caught around their neck.

Research by RoSPA has shown that most accidental deaths involving blind cords happen in the bedroom and occur in children aged between 16 months and 36 months, with the majority (more than half) happening at around 23 months.

Toddlers' heads weigh proportionately more than their bodies and their muscular control is not yet fully developed, which makes them less likely to be able to free themselves. Their windpipes are smaller and less rigid than those of adults and older children which mean that they suffocate far more quickly if their necks are constricted.

These deaths can happen quickly and quietly, however with increased awareness these deaths are preventable. Trading Standards urge residents and businesses to check their premises for existing blinds and if you have blinds with looped cords, we recommend that you remove them or, if you cannot do this, you tie up the cords with a safety device.

For more information on preventing accidents involving looped cords please visit the RoSPA website.

In the UK there have been at least 10 deaths of babies under one year old caused by choking and suffocation hazards associated with nappy sacks.

Nappy sacks are often stored near a baby and/or the baby's cot. The flimsy plastic material of the bag makes it light enough for the baby to grasp and move. A baby of this age will instinctively bring it to its mouth where the bag can easily obstruct the airways or can be inhaled.

Unfortunately babies lack the ability or instinct to remove the bag.

Liquitabs are detergents that have a jelly-like sweet appeal to young children. The alkaline substances in liquitabs can cause an immediate chemical burn.

If bitten and/or swallowed the child may suffer breathing problems as the airway starts to swell rapidly. Doctors have also seen cases where young children have burnt their eyes having rubbed them after handling liquitabs.

For further information visit the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Button cell batteries due to their size pose a choking risk to small children, who have a tendency to place small parts into their mouths. The lithium in the batteries reacts with saliva causing acid to leak within as little as an hour. The leaking acid can cause severe burns and damage to a throat, stomach and other internal organs, or even death.

These batteries can be found in everyday small household electronics such as remote controls, greeting cards, novelty items and toys. Make sure spare batteries are securely stored and battery compartments are secured before placing an item within a young child's reach.

Read further information about Button Battery Safety on the Child Accident Prevention Trust website.

It is recognised that lasers can cause damage to the eyes, and they can indirectly be hazardous in many ways. These important safety tips will assist consumers be safe when using laser pointers.

Only buy a laser pointer if you have a legitimate use for it

Laser pointers are not toys. Don’t buy them for children. If you want to buy one, buy it from a reputable UK supplier. If you buy one over the internet, particularly from overseas, you may be buying a very dangerous laser product.

Tip 2: Don't Use Laser Pointers Without Labels

If the label indicating the wavelengths and wattage has been peeled off or a laser pointer never had one, the best decision is to dispose of the device to avoid any accidents.

Tip 3: Don't Point Laser Beams at Faces or Eyes

Laser beams can damage the retina of the eye and the damage is permanent.

Tip 4: Don't Point Laser Beams at Aircraft

This may seem like an obvious thing not to do, but it happens both intentionally and accidentally. People have been prosecuted for shining laser beams into the eyes of pilots.

Tip 5: Don't Point Laser Beams at Vehicles

Because the beams from laser pointers can cause dazzle, distraction, and temporary blindness, as well as potentially causing permanent eye injuries.

Tip 6: Don't Hold a Laser Beam on the Skin

Some of the laser pointers available on the internet can cause skin burns. Don’t shine the laser beam onto the skin.

Tip 7: Don't Point Lasers at Animals for Any Reason

Some people like to play games with their animals by getting them to chase the laser beam. Do not use a laser pointer to scare animals or birds.

Tip 8: Don't Give Laser Pointers to Children

Laser pointers are not toys. Older children may be trusted with lower powered laser pointers if they are mature enough to understand what they can and cannot be used for.

Further information:

• UK laser radiation: safety advice (GOV.UK website).

Small high-powered magnets are increasingly becoming popular but due to their size pose a very serious risk to small children. Small, high-powered magnetics can be easily swallowed and, when ingested, have the potential to cause serious internal injuries within the gastrointestinal tract. If two or more magnets were swallowed the magnets could be drawn together in the digestive system potentially causing serious injury or death. The bright colours make them child appealing but they can have potentially devastating consequences.

Magnets safety leaflet (opens as a .pdf) (Child Accident Prevention Trust website)

Addenbrookes warning mini-toy-magnets (CUH website)

Fashion magnet safety (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents website)

Self-feeding pillows/prop feeders present a risk of serious harm or death from choking or aspiration pneumonia. Baby self-feeding pillow products are designed to be attached to a bottle so that the baby may be positioned on its back to self-feed without the assistance of a caregiver holding the bottle and controlling the feed. When used as intended, even whilst under the supervision of a caregiver, it could lead to immediate, serious harm or death from choking or aspiration pneumonia. Consumers should immediately stop using these products and dispose of them safely.

Businesses have been asked to recall these products. If you see such a product being advertised for sale please contact us using the details on our report an issue to Trading Standards page.

For further details of the product recall, please visit Product Safety Alert: Baby Self-Feeding Pillows / Prop Feeders (PSA3) (GOV.UK website).

Motorcyclists are of course heavily dependant on their leather gear, gloves and helmet to keep them safe in a fall or slide. However there are many products for sale on the British market that wouldn't meet our British safety standards and would fail to offer you the protection you were expecting in the case of an accident.

Read our guide below to help you identify the products you can trust, and those to steer away from.

Motorbike helmets

Whether you are buying your first motorbike or scooter or reliving the good old days and getting back on a bike again, you will be looking for a new helmet and protective clothing.

A motorbike helmet is the only piece of motorcycle clothing kit that there is a legal requirement to wear whilst riding a motorbike.

Which helmet to buy

What you should also be asking yourself is:

• Is the helmet genuine or fake?
• Will it protect me from head injuries if I have an accident?
• What is my budget?
• Where will I buy it from, online or retail premises?
• Do I buy a new or second-hand helmet?

You may have spent a lot of money on the purchase of your bike and getting it on the road, which could mean looking at ways of getting a cheaper helmet and protective clothing. The internet is full of websites and social media opportunities, to pick up cheap or second-hand motorcycle helmets.

A helmet is the most important part of your kit so getting it right is invaluable

A brain injury is permanent – a genuine helmet is designed and tested to minimise the risk of head injury. There are many counterfeit and poor-quality cheap helmets available online. These can give a rider a false sense of protection and will reduce the level of protection from head injuries. Fakes can also be difficult to identify.

Buyers' guide - what to look for

Following the buyers' guide below will help you do all you can to check the helmet you buy is genuine and meets the required standards of safety.

• Make sure your new helmet is genuine and compliant by being labelled UN ECE 22.5 or 22.6 or BS 6658:1985 and carries the BSI Kitemark
• Does it have a label with an E + number in a circle? This shows the helmet has been certified to the UN ECE standard. The number represents the country that certified it

Online checks:

• Check where the seller is based – if not in the UK will you be able to get a refund for a fake or damaged helmet if the seller is based overseas?
• How do they want payment?
• If you find a branded helmet on an unknown website at a far lower cost than the manufacturers, then this should trigger alarm bells – do some more research into the seller and any negative reviews.
• Check the returns and delivery policy to make sure of your consumer rights

Physical checks:

• Examine the helmet, labelling and packaging for the following:
• Check the chin strap for a white stitched label displaying an E + a number, and a serial number or the BSI Kitemark & BS 6658:1985
• Stickers that haven’t been applied properly
• Not in its original box
• Lack of booklets/labels and tags
• Poor quality paintwork
• Scratches on visor/helmet
• The weight of the helmet

‘Try before you buy’ where you can – a helmet that doesn’t fit is not going to offer the best protection from brain injuries – follow this SHARP fitting guide to make sure you get the helmet with the best fit.

SHARP is the Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme. You can use the SHARP rating system to help you make an informed choice on choosing the right motorcycle crash helmet.

Myth: Any helmet is better than no helmet!

Fact: a fake or low-quality helmet can give a rider a false sense of protection and reduces the level of protection of head injury

Myth: Helmets being sold on well-known online websites must be ok and safe to be sold?

Fact: Not everything sold online is genuine and compliant to relevant product safety standards and regulations. Fake helmets will not protect you. Read Motorcycle News' special investigation article on lookalike helmets.

And finally...if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Disadvantages of a used helmet

There are quite a few downsides to buying a used motorcycle helmet, the most important ones are:

• Age – Helmets do have an expiration date dependent upon the material it is made from.
• Material wear and tear – reducing impact absorption.
• Helmets are deemed as disposable products – they are designed for one incident of impact. A helmet should not be used again after an accident or impact from a fall. Dispose of any helmet after impact.
• Helmets don’t always show evidence of impact or if the inner or outer shells have been damaged. A damaged helmet will not provide the same level of impact absorption from a second impact from an accident or fall.
• You will not know the history of a second-hand helmet and what it has gone through.
• Internal linings will have shaped to the first owners head, it will therefore not fit or reshape to your head properly, reducing level of protection.

Motorcyclists are of course heavily dependant on their leather gear, gloves and helmet to keep them safe in a fall or slide. However there are many products for sale on the British market that wouldn't meet our British safety standards and would fail to offer you the protection you were expecting in the case of an accident.

Read our guide below to help you identify the products you can trust, and those to steer away from.

Motorcycle clothing buyers guide

There is no law that requires you to wear protective clothing whilst riding your motorcycle, but compliant protective gear is strongly recommended. It could save your life and prevent serious injury.

• Is your motorbike clothing going to protect you if you have an impact with and slide along the road surface?
• Did you know that all motorcycle clothing, gloves, footwear and impact protection components are classed as PPE?

Whether your gear is for track day racing, riding to work or for leisure rides, all of your motorcycle clothing that contains or can accommodate impact protectors (so everything apart from simple waterproofs) needs to comply with the relevant safety Regulations, have gone through the specified testing regime and be labelled correctly.

Motorcycle clothing in its entirety (so not just the impact protectors), is now covered by the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations (otherwise known as PPE) and must be marked with a conformity safety mark (CE, new UKCA or UKNI marks), ratings for the level of protection and user information and warnings.

The Regulations require protective clothing to undergo safety assessment and independent testing to ensure the product is compliant to the safety requirements and will provide suitable and sufficient protection against the risks they are intended to safeguard against, such as a fall from the bike and against injury from impact or abrasion.

There are various levels of protection offered and the labels can be quite confusing. Remember, motorcycle clothing design involves separating the garment into 3 zones (areas of the garment which offer various levels of protection from identified risks: highest risk of impact and abrasion, such as shoulders, hips and knees, intermediate risk of abrasion and lowest risk of abrasion, such as the front of the body and back of the knees) and into classes of protection. You will see anything from Class AAA to B.

There are some simple checks you can carry out when you are next buying your new gear. By following our buyers guide below you can take steps to ensure it is suitable for your needs and meets the legal safety testing requirements.

There are many counterfeit and poor-quality, cheap motorcycle clothing products available online, which can give a rider a false sense of protection and will reduce the actual level of protection provided (if any at all). Fakes can also be difficult to identify.

Buyers beware

Follow this buyers' guide to arm yourself with the knowledge of what you buy is suitable and will offer the level of protection required

Remember - no protective garment can offer complete protection against all injuries!

Buyers' guide – what to look for

Clothing, gloves and boots all need to have been independently tested to the applicable safety standards

The standard numbers you should see include:

• Jackets, trousers, one-piece suits and two-piece suits should be certified and labelled to the safety Standard BS EN 17092, it may even be labelled as prEN 17092 or FprEN 17092, which were earlier draft versions of the standard, but which are almost identical to the final published version where the main tests are concerned
• Boots to EN13634
• Gloves to EN13594

Motorcycle gear should be marked and labelled with specific information including the rating level which will tell you the level of protection it will provide and its intended use.

Labelling checks:

• The product should contain an attached label with the motorcyclist symbol and the i-booklet sign indicting the purchaser to read the Instructions for Use.

Examine the labels and product for:

• The standard number and year
• The rating level (AAA, AA, A, B etc.)
• The conformity mark CE, UKCA or UKNI
• Impact protectors should be marked up individually or on the label
• Manufacturer's name and address
• Importer's name and address

If any of the above information or pictograms are missing, then start asking more questions. 

• Instructions for use: clothing should be provided with attached ‘Instructions for Use’ and should include information and warnings such as: -
• The intended and appropriate use
• Advice on using the PPE clothing in combination with others such as helmets, boots, gloves and hi-visibility accessories
• A warning: “No PPE or combination of PPE can offer full protection against injury”
• Where impact protectors are removable, a warning not to wear without protectors
• All PPE must be supplied with a Declaration of Conformity (confirming the product meets the PPE legal requirements) or a web address where this can be obtained
• If you find branded gear on an unknown website at a far lower cost than the manufacturers, then this should trigger alarm bells – do some more research into the seller and any published negative reviews.

And finally, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Further reading and information can be found:

What’s the safest motorcycle gear? CE ratings explained (bennetts.co.uk)

The Office of Product Safety and Standards has issued a warning to consumers not to use toothed saw blades with angle grinders. The Office for Product Safety and Standards has identified that toothed saw blade attachments, available for sale for use with angle grinders, are unsafe. These attachments increase the risk of kick back and loss of control of the angle grinder when in use, which could lead to serious injury or fatality. Kick back is caused when the blade snags or strikes an object during operation causing the tool to be suddenly forced backwards towards the operator. Consumers and users should only use attachment types on angle grinders that are recommended by the angle grinder manufacturer, and should always follow the instructions provided.

If you were sold a toothed saw blade specifically for use with an angle grinder you should contact the seller for redress. You are encouraged to report any such businesses to us using the contact details on our report an issue to Trading Standards page.

For further details, please visit Product Safety Alert: Angle Grinder Toothed Saw Blade Attachments (PSA5) - GOV.UK website.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has launched a new #CostofBeauty campaign. This campaign aims to warn consumers about the potential dangers of using certain illegal and unsafe cosmetic products such as:

• Nails - UV Gel and L&P Nail Kits
• Skin lightening creams
• Illegal teeth whitening kits

Visit the Cost of Beauty page on the CTSI website to arm yourself with the facts.

Remember - just because it's for sale, it doesn't mean it's safe.