Buy Safe and Keep Safe

7th of June, 2024

We rely on many things we buy to make our lives easier, to help us and support our wellbeing. But not all products you buy new or second-hand may be made well or meet required safety standards that you would expect.

Taking the time to do some simple checks before making a purchase from a shop or online can avoid accidents and injuries to you, your family and friends.

What you should look for

Here are some simple things you can do before buying products:

Does the product have safety markings or warnings?
Are there any instructions and are they easy to understand?
Can you see the address of the manufacturer or seller?

If you can’t see any of these things on the packaging or the item, it may mean that the product you are buying is not safe to use or hasn’t been tested by the manufacturer to make sure it meets safety standards.

Buying second-hand

If you’re thinking of purchasing something second-hand, consider how old it is and if anything might have happened to it during its lifetime – can you see any obvious damage which could make it unsafe to use?

Register your products

Many household products, especially electrical ones, come with the option to register them with the manufacturer. Registering your product means that you can then be directly informed if there is a safety issue with it and get any repairs done as soon as possible. If it is recalled, a refund or replacement may be available.

If you are a part of local group and are interested in helping to keep your community safe by taking part in an online presentation or a visit to your group, please contact Lancashire County Council at [email protected] or call us on 01772 721600 or visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/consumer-product-safety.