'Due diligence' audit/advice on consumer safety compliance procedures
eg for:
a major multinational domestic appliance manufacturer,
a UK retailer of sports goods.
a major brand name in chilled confectionery,
a magazine cover mount buyer/importer and
an independent product designer]
Causal human factors-design factors analyses and evaluation of proposed safety measures (requested following reports of incidents) involving:
pushchair locking mechanisms
a supermarket trolley handle
falls between train doorways and platform edges
Risk analyses for product suppliers to (European Commission guidelines) of specific defects discovered after supplying a product batch or model to consumers, with consequent advice on whether (under GPSR) the circumstances required the supplier to notify the enforcement authorities and/or to announce a recall from consumers - eg following complaints received by the supplier from users of
an electric shower control,
a laundry appliance interlock,
a range of hot drink dispensers,
a vacuum cleaner brush head
General hazard analyses and advice on appropriate design or warning measures for product suppliers to take, eg of
waist cord ends on children’s clothes
a folding scooter
an electric skateboard
Drafting general guidance documents (for regulatory or standards bodies)
design of instructions supplied with consumer products
addressing safety of children in general product standards
bite tests methods for products in contact with children.
Strategic studies and advice Studies (for European Commission) recommending strategies to monitor safety of cross-border tourist and leisure services and estimating the scale of injuries.
Study (for European Commission) of the comparative protection offered by the technical requirements in Netherlands Ladder Regulations and the European Standard for Ladders
Strategic reviews for UK government of consumer product chemical safety support consultancy and of methods for monitoring fatal accidents.
Advising retail organisations on submitting comments on proposed UK legislative changes
Compilation and analyses of statistics on impact on consumer safety complaints to UK of changes to contact agencies
impact of trading standards powers to order product safety recalls in UK
impact on accidents involving toys of changes to EU Directive
trends in prosecutions under UK product safety legislation
trends in fatal home and leisure accidents
trends in firework injury data
Expert Witness work (links to individual experts) Dr Gordon Hayward (Director of Consumer Risk Ltd)