Consumer Goods Safety

• Under the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance, all consumer goods, except those listed in the Schedule to the Ordinance, must comply with the general safety requirement or safety standards and specifications prescribed by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.
• The Ordinance imposes a statutory duty on manufacturers, importers and suppliers to ensure that the consumer goods they supply are reasonably safe. The Ordinance also imposes control on the advertising of consumer goods.
• The Ordinance does not prescribe any mandatory safety tests on products before they are put up for sale. Suppliers are however encouraged to have their consumer goods tested by an approved laboratory to determine whether or not they are reasonably safe.
• It shall be a defence for a person to show that he has taken all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing an offence, such as obtaining from the supplier a certificate issued by an approved laboratory showing that samples of the product before being sold have complied with the relevant safety standard or specification.
• The Consumer Goods Safety Regulation requires that any warning or caution with respect to the safe keeping, use, consumption or disposal of any consumer goods must be given in both English and Chinese.
• The warning or caution must be legible and placed in a conspicuous position on the consumer goods, any package of the consumer goods, or a label securely affixed to the package, or a document enclosed in the package.
• This Department organizes education-oriented seminars on products safety to traders engaged in the retailing, wholesaling and importing of toys, children"s products and consumer goods.
• A brief introduction to the Ordinance is shown in the slides relating to the safety of consumer goods.

If you find a consumer product which is suspected to be unsafe, you should stop using it immediately and report to Information Hotline at (852) 2545 6182. If you feel uncomfortable, please seek professional medical advice.

Here are some safety tips for reference on using the following consumer products:

Rechargeable batteries

• do not use counterfeit batteries;
• use appropriate battery chargers;
• never mix old and new batteries or mix batteries of different brands together when using or charging; and
• stop using or charging immediately if the batteries become overheated or seriously swollen.

Essential oils

• Keep in cool place, away from direct sunlight;
• Keep out of reach of children;
• Keep away from flame or heat source, such as stove or lighted cigarette;
• Keep ventilation well;
• Extinguish the flame before adding oil; and
• Never leave the vaporizer unattended.

Household chemical cleaner

• Corrosive and toxic substances; Harmful if taken internally;
• Wear rubber gloves during use;
• Keep out of reach of children;
• Avoid contact with eyes; and
• Do not mix with other chemicals.

Infant sling

• To avoid suffocation, never let the babies' face, including nose and mouth, press against the adult's body or being covered by the sling;
• Make sure you can see the babies' face and that the baby can see you; and
• Closely monitor the circumstances of the baby in a sling.

Recent local and international news regarding product safety are available on the websites of the following organizations:

• Consumer Council Hong Kong
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
• Consumer New Zealand
• U.K Trading Standards Institute
• European Commission
• Health Canada

Report Information

If you encounter unsafe consumer goods, you are encouraged to report information to us.

General Enquiry

For enquiry on general information, please contact us through general enquiry.

Effective Date: With immediate effect