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Product safety rules: what it means for consumer hardware start-ups
What are the new UK product safety rules for hardware?
Updated 6 November 2026 from public records. 16 items below.
At a glance
- 16 records from the last 120 days, 14 naming consumer hardware directly
- No consultation on this open right now
- Most active: Office for Product Safety and Standards, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- Latest record: 5 November 2026
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 lets government update product safety rules by regulation, including duties on online marketplaces, and decide how far to follow EU rules. Regulations under it are arriving in stages. For a company that makes or sells physical products, the duties on what it sells, and on the platforms it sells through, are both changing. The Act on legislation.gov.uk.
What it means for your start-up
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act lets government update product safety rules by regulation, including duties on online marketplaces and new rules for products such as e-bike batteries. Many CE-marked goods can still be sold in Great Britain alongside UKCA. For a hardware maker, the duties on what you sell, and on the platforms you sell through, are both changing.
What to do now
- Check which marking (UKCA or CE) applies to each product and market, including Northern Ireland and the EU.
- Follow the Office for Product Safety and Standards' consultations on new regulations for your product type.
- Ask the marketplaces you sell on what they will need from you as their own duties grow.
Latest from government
Marked: mentions consumer hardware directly.
- MHRA sets out approach to strengthen patient and public involvement and engagement in medicines and medical device regulation
New plan will broaden participation and make clearer how patient experience informs regulatory decisions, safety and innovation - Stop using pimple popping toys with needles, says OPSS
OPSS warns consumers to stop using pimple popping squishy toys with sharp needles or syringes due to the risk of injury. - Cosmetics Sandbox – Bioengineered Ingredients
This is OPSS' first Sandbox and is designed to support businesses developing innovative cosmetic ingredients using bioengineering approaches. - Devices supplied without valid UKCA/CE conformity markings or certification: remove from use and place in quarantine (DSI/2026/007)
The MHRA has become aware of a number of medical devices being supplied on the UK market that do not comply with the requirements of the UK Medical Device Regulations 2002 (UK MDR 2002) or with the EU Medical Devices… - MHRA advises quarantine of medical devices supplied without appropriate conformity markings
The MHRA has become aware of a number of medical devices being supplied on the UK market that do not comply with the requirements of the UK Medical Device Regulations or with the EU Medical Devices Regulation. - Assuring the absence of asbestos in sand-containing toys
An advisory note clarifying OPSS' expectations of businesses to understand and control the risk of asbestos contamination throughout the product supply chain. - Stakeholder views on tumble dryer safety
Invitation to OPSS stakeholders to share views, data and other relevant evidence about tumble dryers supplied for use in the UK. - VAT online marketplace liability extension
This tax information and impact note is about the extension of online marketplace liability to all sales of goods where the marketplace facilitates the sale of those goods by UK businesses.
In Parliament
Marked: mentions consumer hardware directly.
- What data her Department holds on the number of injuries caused by lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters in each of the last three years, broken down…
Asked by Tom Gordon (LD). Lithium-ion Batteries: Fires — The requested data is not collated by the National Health Service. The Office for Product Safety and Standards does record and publish data on casualties from… - What recent discussions officials have had with online marketplaces regarding the sale of illegal e-bike conversion kits and non-compliant e-scooters.
Asked by Tom Gordon (LD). Electric Bicycles and Electric Scooters: Sales — The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) actively monitors the market, investigates mis-selling, and can take… - What recent assessment his department has made of the adequacy of existing protections to ensure consumers are not harmed by any dangerous toys or products…
Asked by Ruth Jones (Lab). Electronic Commerce: Consumer Protection — UK product safety law is clear: all products, including Toys, must be safe before being placed on the market, whether online or in store. Despite… - Whether he will use powers under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 to introduce a requirement for clear external labelling of products containing…
Asked by Luke Taylor (LD). Lithium-ion Batteries: Labelling — The Government is considering responses to the Product Safety Framework Consultation and will publish its response in due course.Existing product safety… - What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using the Product Safety and Metrology Act to deem products unsafe, in particular kits to…
Asked by Steve Darling (LD). Electric Bicycles — Products, including e-bikes and conversion kits, must be safe before being placed on the market under UK law. The Government recently consulted on a range of proposals to… - What steps he is taking to prevent online marketplaces from selling e-bike conversion kits.
Asked by Imogen Walker (Lab). Electric Bicycles — Products must be safe before being placed on the market under UK law, and this applies to e-bike batteries and conversion kits sold online. However, we recognise… - Health Bill
Further consideration of Bill, as amended in the Public Bill Committee [Relevant documents: First Report of the Health and Social Care Committee, Health Bill 2026-27, HC 219; and oral evidence taken before the Health… - If she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to ban the (a) importation and (b) sale of conversion kits for e-bikes that do not require the rider to pedal…
Asked by Vikki Slade (LD). Electric Bicycles: Regulation — This Government is providing new powers through the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 to act against online marketplaces selling unsafe products,…
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. General information, not legal advice.