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Steve W1  
#1 Posted : 01 July 2011 13:03:32(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Steve W1

Can anyone give me some information about in house product appraisal/risk assessment procedures.
I have been just asked to get involved with this in my Company and I am not to sure what format this would take.
I already compile risk assessments for in house use but not for products that we distribute.
So anyone out there got some experience in this form of assessing if so a bit of advise would be very much appreciated.

Steve
leadbelly  
#2 Posted : 01 July 2011 13:31:03(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
leadbelly

Steve

Does your employer's liability insurer do product liability insurance, too? If so, they will surely be able to help you out.

LB
SimonL  
#3 Posted : 01 July 2011 13:34:48(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
SimonL

Hi Steve
could you give some sort of detail with regard to the type of product and who would be using it?
Simon
Ron Hunter  
#4 Posted : 01 July 2011 16:07:06(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Ron Hunter

Is this for products you make and supply, or products you are considering as purchase or procurement?
Either way, some more info on the types of product would help us help you.
Steve W1  
#5 Posted : 03 July 2011 13:46:52(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Steve W1

Thanks for your replies.
The products we produce are Barbeque related products such has instant lighting barbeques, lighting fuel, barbeque charcoal fuel.
And these are distributed to large supermarket chains for puplic use.

We do product testing on a regular basis but not risk assessments for public use.

Should we be doing them.

Steve
SNS  
#6 Posted : 03 July 2011 21:23:31(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
SNS

I take it that there are instructions for use on the packaging? If so they should include precautions to be taken: "Do not light indoors" may already be there.

How those precautions should have been arrived at was probably a form of risk assessment - check to see if you have a company record of the process.

If you have instructions which are clear and understandable, in an obvious position on the package - somewhere that must be opened before the buyer can use the stuff, then you are probably meeting your obligations.

Is there a purchase age limit for flammables?

Look at the worst case, or worst idiot, and have precautions clear and unambiguous. Thats probably all that you can do.

rgds,
S
Ron Hunter  
#7 Posted : 04 July 2011 11:59:21(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Ron Hunter

You're in the realms of Consumer Protection Legislation, not an area we discuss much here.
Your Product must be safe for intended purpose and you should provide instructions for safe use. Others have already alluded to the potential issues arising from the flammables.

This will involve risk assessment of sorts, but not necessarily strictly in a Management Regs. Regulation 3 context.
I suggest you have a chat with your local friendly Trading Standards Department, most of them offer free business as well as consumer advice?
p.s. they'll also be interested in the system of average quantity you use for pack weights of charcoal - Weights and Measures Legislation.
SimonL  
#8 Posted : 04 July 2011 16:17:07(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
SimonL

Hi
in general you are in the realms of the General Product Safety Directive which is fairly broad in that it requires you to ensure that your products are safe to use. Unless there is a specific standard for firelighters (and if there is, you should already know about it) then all that is required are instructions on how to use the product safely under 'reasonably foreseeable conditions'. Again no definition, but the previous post saying don't use indoors etc should be OK and always put something about not for use by children. I'd simply look at a few competitors and see what they have.
Simon
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