The Electrical Safety Council’s (ESC) Director General, Phil Buckle, has just been appointed to the Board of Eurosafe - the European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion. Eurosafe, is a network comprised of health and safety agencies, research bodies, civil society organisations and a range of relevant private sector organisations, dedicated to making Europe a safer place.
Its aim is to improve the infrastructure, policy and programmes that provide protection in everyday life. “I was delighted to join the Eurosafe Board”, says Phil Buckle. “It is a particularly relevant relationship for the ESC, as we have been increasing our engagement with the European Parliament, both as part of our Product Safety Campaign and in response to forthcoming EU regulations on
product safety and market surveillance.”
The ESC’s Product Safety Campaign - which generated extensive coverage in consumer media and included a series of major industry events - has promoted a range of issues, from designing for foreseeable use to consumer education. But a particular focus is the challenge of product recall and traceability to the consumer, as most recall rates are disturbingly low, usually no higher than 20%
and with most achieving just 10% effectiveness.1
The ESC has been lobbying the EU to ensure any new regulations promote best practice for recalls and traceability, and to consider vulnerable users of electrical products when assessing risk. “During a recent visit to Strasbourg, one of the things we proposed was developing a method by which consumers would allow their personal details to be stored, purely for traceability purposes”, adds Phil Buckle. “It is just one of the ways we aim to help both UK consumers and industry - because safer products and more efficient recalls also result in better business.”
1) A Review of the literature on consumer motivation and behaviour CPSC, prepared by Heiden Associates, July
2003