Quarterly BAS Due (July–September)
Form 1099-NEC & Contractor Payment Reporting Check
Why this matters.
The Product Safety and Metrology Act 2024 modernises the UK’s product safety framework, significantly expanding who is responsible for unsafe products and how. Any business that manufactures goods, imports from outside Great Britain, or is the first to place a product on the UK market takes on the role of a “responsible person” with substantial legal obligations — including ensuring products are safe before sale, maintaining technical documentation, monitoring the market for emerging safety issues, and having a product recall procedure ready to deploy. Under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, liability for defective products is strict: a business can be found liable for damage caused by unsafe goods even without negligence, and personal injury claims can reach significant sums.
The 2024 Act introduces online marketplaces and fulfilment service providers into the product safety regulatory framework for the first time — closing a loophole that previously allowed platforms to sidestep responsibility for unsafe imported goods sold through them. For products requiring UKCA or CE marking (electrical equipment, toys, personal protective equipment, construction products, machinery, and many more), the marking confirms conformity with the relevant technical requirements. Trading standards officers have powers to issue suspension notices, require recalls, and prosecute businesses for marketing unsafe products. Businesses that import goods from outside Great Britain are treated as the producer if there is no UK-based responsible person — meaning importers carry significant liability if they do not take active steps to verify safety and ensure traceability.
