Product safety guidance
The role of the CCPC in product safety
It is important that consumers only buy products that are safe and comply with EU safety regulations. The CCPC is responsible for making sure that a wide range of products sold in Ireland meet specific regulations including:
- Toys
- Recreational personal protective equipment such as helmets, sun glasses and swimming aids
- Domestic electrical and gas appliances
- General consumer products such as furniture, children’s clothing, window blinds and cigarette lighters
Find out more about the CCP's role in product safety and our responsibilities here.
What do we do to help protect consumers
- We investigate complaints from consumers about unsafe products.
- We work with Customs to prevent unsafe products being placed on the Irish market.
- We inspect products to ensure that they comply with relevant standards and legislation.
- We advise manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and their representative bodies about their responsibilities under the product safety legislation.
- We let consumers know about unsafe products through our database of product recalls.
- We manage Ireland’s input to the EU product safety rapid alert recall system, Safety Gate.
What to do if you bought a product that has been recalled
- Tell the retailer. It may turn out to be a once-off fault in which case you are entitled to a repair, replacement, reduction in the price or refund. You will need proof of purchase such as a receipt or bank or credit card statement.
- If you are still not satisfied about the safety of the product, contact us immediately with details about the product and where you bought it.
What to do if you find a dangerous product
If you find a dangerous product for sale or if something you bought is unsafe, you should report it to us. You can make a report here - report an unsafe product.
Other organisations with a product safety role:
| Product | Monitored By |
| Machinery, chemicals and personal protective equipment used in the workplace, for example, hard hats | Health & Safety Authority |
| Medical devices, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals | Health Products Regulatory Authority |
| Mobile phones and radio equipment, for example, any appliance or device that has Bluetooth or internet connectivity | Commission for Communications Regulation |
| Food and food supplements | Food Safety Authority of Ireland |
| Construction products | Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government |
What to do if you find a dangerous or unsafe product
Businesses (including manufacturers, importers, suppliers and retailers) must only place safe products on the market. If a business discovers that a product it placed on the market is unsafe and poses a risk to the health and safety of consumers, it must remove the product from sale. If this happens, the business may:
- Contact you directly to offer you a repair, a refit, or a replacement part. Cars, for example, are rarely replaced but faulty parts may be replaced or fixed.
- Provide warnings and information about the faulty product through advertisements and in-store notices. • Inform the manufacturer and the CCPC.
- Recall the product (take it off the market).
If you hear about a product recall and think you are affected, check the product recall details carefully for model numbers, batch numbers and the year of manufacture. It may only be a specific batch being recalled or it might just affect certain countries.
Follow the instructions given in the product recall notice carefully.
