Product safety blog: In Safe Hands
Welcome to In Safe Hands, the blog where global experts from Kennedys keep you up-to-date with the latest developments in international product safety.
The product safety sphere is fast moving and without hands-on monitoring, any changes to the global regulatory framework can easily be missed. This is why we're here to lend a hand by keeping you abreast of any CSR, technological or regulatory changes that may impact your business.
These key updates will help you to adjust your business strategies, ensure compliance and avoid the potential for enforcement action. We will share our experience and insight from both UK and global perspectives and bring you guest writers from across the industry.
To help you navigate to your area of interest, the content is divided into the subcategories: chemicals, cosmetics, CSR, ESR and D&I, food and drink, general consumer product issues, industrial products, life sciences, new technologies, vehicles.

Featured report
2022 product liability and product safety forecast: trends and future risks
Product innovation – highlighted by COVID-19 vaccines – continues to make headline news. As the adoption of emerging technologies gathers pace, regulation is evolving to reflect this changing environment. In this report, we consider developments in the product safety and product liability sphere, and provide an overview of the topics and trends that are likely to impact corporates and their insurers in the months ahead.
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Blog 2022-04-29
Promoting fairness in the digital market: EU Parliament and Member States reach agreement on EU Digital Markets Act
On 24 March 2022, EU legislators reached political agreement on the long awaited Digital Markets Act (DMA) which seeks to regulate ‘gatekeeper’ technology giants and a promote fair and open digital market.
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Blog 2022-04-21
EU pharmaceutical strategy: Member States welcome European Commission’s adoption of regulation on Health Technology Assessment
The long awaited regulation on Health Technology Assessment (HTA), adopted on 13 December 2021 and published in the EU Official Journal on 22 December 2021, is a deliverable of the EU Pharmaceutical Strategy that aims to revolutionise patient access to vital and innovative technologies.
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Blog 2022-04-21
‘Know your PPT from your PPC’ – a round-up of the UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax
As of 1 April 2022, manufacturers or importers of plastic packaging products into the UK may be liable under Part 2 of the Finance Act 2021 to pay a tax on products that contain less than 30% recycled plastic, known as Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT).
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Blog 2022-04-20
Cosmetics industry associations support United Nations Plastics treaty
On 2 March 2022, four regional and thirty-three national cosmetics industry associations from across the globe released a Position Paper in support of a global United Nations Plastics treaty. This comes in response to a Resolution reached on the same day at the UN Environment Assembly, with the support of 175 nations, calling for treaty implementation by 2024.
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Blog 2022-03-28
ECHA guidance on rectifying information gaps in dossiers
According to the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) annual evaluation statistics, in 2021, 93% of REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulation dossiers that were cross checked for full compliance required further data outlining the long-term effects of certain chemicals on human health or the environment.
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Blog 2022-03-18
European Commission publishes long awaited proposals for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence
On 23 February 2022, the European Commission published its proposals for a Directive 2022/0051 on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence. This provides a pathway for companies to implement the necessary due diligence procedures to enable them to better identify, prevent, mitigate and bring to an end adverse impacts of their activities on human rights and on the environment.
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Blog 2022-03-07
Office for Product Safety and Standards: updated service standards
On 6 January 2022, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published their updated service standards, clarifying the enforcement role of the OPSS and how they regulate businesses producing and selling products in the UK.
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Blog 2022-03-04
Withdrawal of the UK’s National Measurement Office from the market
On 7 September 2021, the Office for Product Safety and Standards announced that the National Measurement Office would cease to be a Conformity Assessment Body in 2022. Historically, the NMO, which is part of OPSS, has provided product certification, quality management system certification, testing, calibration and training services in relation to metrology.
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Blog 2022-03-01
Proposed regulation of third party litigation funding by the EU
Unsafe products can lead to claims for reimbursement, compensation and/or other remedies. A rise in consumer led litigation and mass harm events, particularly in relation to consumer products, highlighted the need for EU consumers to have an effective mechanism by which they could bring group actions and enable access to justice.
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Blog 2022-02-23
PFAS: forever chemicals, forever causing concern?
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as “forever chemicals” are a complex and expanding group of man-made chemicals found in a variety of products used by consumers and industry. The chemicals have recently been under the scrutiny of various stakeholders across the globe, culminating in a series of international noteworthy legal and regulatory developments, because of their alleged impact on health.