Product safety advice for businesses supplying goods in Northern Ireland

If you make, import, distribute or sell products in Northern Ireland or the UK, you need to understand the basics of product safety law.

You must only sell products that comply with product safety regulations. You must comply with regulations for specific product types, or if none apply, you must comply with the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR) require all consumer products to be safe in their normal or reasonably foreseeable usage. Enforcement authorities such as local councils in Northern Ireland have the power to take appropriate action when this obligation isn’t met.

There are also specific regulations for some products setting out essential safety requirements. In an instance where there is a crossover with GPSR, product-specific legislation usually takes precedence.

Product safety law in Northern Ireland

While the various regulations still cover the UK following EU Exit, their provisions are now applied differently in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This difference means there is separate guidance for businesses selling products in these areas. This distinction between regions will continue to be the case while the Northern Ireland Protocol is in force.

You must ensure that your goods meet UK rules, including any specific rules in Northern Ireland. You can place your goods on the market in Northern Ireland if:

• your goods are not subject to specific UK rules that prevent you from placing them on the Northern Ireland market
• your product has been legally marketed in the EU (including EEA member states)

Goods covered by EU rules

EU rules will continue to apply in Northern Ireland for certain goods subject to specific rules. These are:

• construction products
• products requiring ecodesign and energy labelling
• cosmetics
• tobacco products
• fertilisers