Business

UK Product Safety Laws Won’t Prevent Another Grenfell Tragedy

UK product safety laws won’t prevent another Grenfell tragedy, report warns

Regulators lack the resources to certify the safety of goods sold online by third parties

The UK’s product safety regime is not up to the job of preventing a tragedy such as the Grenfell Tower fire as shopping moves online and regulators take on new responsibilities following Brexit, MPs have warned.

A third of products are now bought on the web, yet a gap in the law means that digital giants such as Amazon and eBay are not responsible for the safety of items sold by third parties. The budgets of council-run Trading Standards services have also been cut to the bone, according to a report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Meg Hillier, the PAC chair, said flaws in the current set-up had been horrifically exposed by the Grenfell fire, which was caused by a fridge-freezer. There was also reason for serious concern about “everyday risks” such as toxic children’s toys and the rise of “smart” household gadgets that could “open a door to hackers”.

With “massive” new responsibilities following Brexit as well as oversight of building materials from 2022, Hillier said it added up to a worrying picture.

“We simply cannot be confident that the UK’s product safety regime will prevent the next tragedy or widespread harm or loss of life, or even know where it’s coming from,” she said. “UK consumer protection must be properly funded to get up to a speed and strength fit for the task.”

The nature of the safety risks people faced was “changing significantly and fast” as they bought more online. That websites like Amazon were not held accountable for sales by other brands was a “significant source of potential product safety harm”, the report said.

Responding to the findings Lesley Rudd, the chief executive of the charity Electrical Safety First, said the absence of vital laws governing online marketplaces posed “one of the biggest risks to product safety in the UK”.

“An unregulated marketplace for electrical goods in combination with enforcement body cuts and an increase in online shopping is contributing to the perfect storm, meaning dangerous products are more likely to end up in people’s homes,” said Rudd.

Until three years ago product safety rules were enforced by Trading Standards officers, but issues with household appliances as well as changes resulting from Brexit saw the creation of the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).

The OPSS, which is part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), regulates product safety at a national level and is also tasked with identifying risks and intervening on nationally significant product issues. The organisation, which has a budget of £14m, works alongside local Trading Standards offices which still undertake most enforcement activity.

While the OPSS had reacted well to issues such as faulty Whirlpool appliances and unsafe PPE, a lack of data slowed its response to dangers posed by the small high-powered magnets being swallowed by children that caused 40 paediatric admissions last year.

The PAC committee said the government had not set out how product safety would be regulated after Brexit. From 2023 the UK will no longer recognise the EU’s CE mark signifying compliance with standards and more checks will be required at the border.

Against the backdrop of a growing workload, MPs were concerned that regulators lacked the “capacity and skills to meet the challenges it faces”. It questioned the sustainability of Trading Standards services – in England their budgets have been cut by nearly 40% over the past decade. There was also a need for specialist science and engineering knowledge as technologies changed.

A spokesperson for BEIS said it was committed to ensuring only safe products could be legally placed on the market and that a database was being set up so councils could share critical product safety information. “While we recognise the concerns raised, we are addressing this by building an even more agile and advanced product safety framework,” they said.

Business

CBN launches new website

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched its newly redesigned website, www.cbn.gov.ng, scheduled to go live on Dec. 2.

Acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mrs Hakama Sidi Ali, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.

We are pleased to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website (www.cbn.gov.ng), which will be operational on Monday, December 2, 2024.

“The redesigned website introduces a variety of new content, which encompasses a broader spectrum of information regarding the bank’s mandate.

“Additionally, the website is responsive to mobile devices, facilitating navigation across various web browsers and devices.

“The bank is grateful for the feedback provided by the public, which served as a valuable guide for our redesign endeavours,” she said.

Sidi Ali said the CBN was committed to developing and enhancing the website to facilitate communication.

“Please follow our different social media channels linked on the website’s home page for more updates,” she said.

(NAN)

Business

No ban on sachet water – Lagos Govt

The Lagos State government has denied reports that it has placed a ban on sachet water.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this clarification on Sunday in a statement posted on his official X account.

The commissioner’s comments followed a viral video which showed enforcement officers destroying packs of sachet water in Lagos.

Reacting to this, Wahab clarified that the officers in the viral video were staff of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) who went about their lawful responsibility to rid the society of unregistered and unsafe products in the interest of public safety and health.

“My attention has been drawn to a viral video showing some individuals bursting sachet water packs at factories and on buses.

“I wish to categorically state that these individuals are not enforcement officers from any Lagos State Government agency or the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

“Upon investigation, it was confirmed that the individuals in question are enforcement officers from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

“Their actions are part of an enforcement exercise targeting sachet water that does not comply with NAFDAC regulations and in the interest of public health and safety.

“It is important to emphasise that Lagos State has not banned sachet water and does not have plans to do so. Our focus remains on effective plastic waste management.

“As part of our commitment, we are implementing mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for producers of polythene terephthalate (PET), sachets, and carrier bags of no less than 40 40 microns,” he stated.

Business

NAFDAC notifies Nigerians on fake anti-malaria drug in circulation

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has notified the general public of the sale of counterfeit combiart (Artemether Lumefantrine 20/120mg) Dispersible Tablet in Nigeria.

The notification is in a public alert marked: No. 043/2024, issued on NAFDAC website, disclosing the date of manufacturing of the drug to be Feb. 2023 and June 2023.

It equally gave the expiring date of the drug as May 2026 and June 2026, as well as Batch No: 7225119 with NAFDAC Reg No: A11-0299.

The agency equally gave the manufacturer name and address as Strides Arcolab Limited, 36/7, Suragajakkanahalli, Indlavadi Cross, Anekal Taluk, Bangalore- 562 106, India.

NAFDAC, in the alert, said that all its zonal directors and state coordinators had been directed to carry out surveillance and mop up the counterfeit products within the zones and states.

It advised importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain and avoid importation, distribution, sale, and usage of the counterfeit product.

It said that all medical products must be obtained from authorised/licenced suppliers and that products’ authenticity and physical condition must be carefully checked.

The alert also advised healthcare professionals and consumers to report any suspicion of the sale of substandard and falsified medicines or medical devices to the nearest NAFDAC office.

It urged Nigerians to call NAFDAC on 0800-162-3322 or report any suspicion event via email: sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng.

“Healthcare professionals and patients are similarly encouraged to report adverse or side effects related to the use of medicinal products or devices to the nearest NAFDAC office, or through E-reporting platforms available on the NAFDAC website www.nafdac.gov.ng.,” it said

It advised Nigerians to reports any adverse effects via the Med-safety application available for download on android and IOS stores or via e-mail on pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng.

NAFDAC promised that the notice would be uploaded to the WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS).

NAN