Product Safety
Product safety in WA
The Product Safety Unit is responsible for keeping the Western Australian community safe. The Product Safety Unit works closely with organisations and agencies to ensure this.
The Consumer Protection Division has statutory obligations in relation to product and consumer safety under the Consumer Affairs Act 1971 and the Fair Trading Act 1987. Product Safety Officers investigate complaints, undertake market inspections, provide information and education about product safety, and work towards just outcomes in relation to product safety.
Product Safety Database
The Product Safety Unit provides advice and information to businesses and consumers on product safety and monitors the market to ensure that unsafe products are detected and, where necessary, removed from the marketplace. The team regularly updates a database with product recalls and warnings which is published on the database website.
Investigations
Our investigation of potentially dangerous products generally involves research and consultation with safety committees, consumer groups, scientific bodies and specialist government and private agencies.
Investigations include gathering information about the product and any existing regulations, testing products, liaising with retailers, distributors and manufacturers, and discussing matters with advisory bodies such as Standards Australia. Investigations may result in prosecutions or infringement notices being issued if traders are found to have acted in breach of product safety laws.
Potentially dangerous products can be referred to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection and the Consumer Product Safety Committee. The Commissioner or the Minister for Consumer Protection have the power to put in place new laws that ban, restrict or regulate the supply of dangerous products.
Consumer Protection does not regulate all products sold in Western Australia. Various other Government agencies also have a role in regulating certain products or industries.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
The ACCC is an independent statutory authority. Its role in product safety regulation is to enforce the provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974, and to take action if goods do not comply with mandatory standards or bans. The ACCC also conducts conferences to review proposed and emergency bans or proposed compulsory recalls of consumer products. Breaches of mandatory standards and bans may be dealt with by administrative action, injunctions, court-enforceable undertakings or prosecutions.
The ACCC also has an educative function and provides information and advice to suppliers and consumers on the requirements of the mandatory product standards.
For more information about product safety:
- Safety in the home
- Product safety database website
- Product standards
- Consumer Product Safety Committee
- Current referrals
- Product safety laws in WA
- Infringement notices
- Recalls
- Complaints
- Basketball and soccer goal safety