Steps to conduct an effective recall

There are steps suppliers should follow to run a well-managed product safety recall from start to finish.

You may complete items at the same time and some items are ongoing.

Submit a recall notification Submit a recalls progress report
  1. Determine if a recall is needed

    Find out when to recall a consumer product for safety reasons.

  2. Tell the ACCC

    You need to tell us about your recall within 2 days of taking a recall action.

  3. Identify affected products and assess the risk

    If you suspect there may be a safety issue with a product you have supplied, investigate to decide if it may or will cause harm to consumers. Use information about the product, defect or dangerous characteristic, and hazard to assess the risk.

    You need to understand how and why it is dangerous, to reduce the likelihood that the safety issue will occur again and to prevent future recalls and people getting harmed.

  4. Prepare to recall

    Once you’ve identified the product and risk, don’t delay starting the recall and informing consumers.

    Being prepared with a recall plan can save you time and lead to better results should you need to start a recall. Decide which supplier will lead the recall, if more than one supplier is affected.

  5. Choose a remedy

    Providing a suitable remedy helps achieve the objective of a recall, which is to remove the hazard from consumers and the marketplace as quickly as possible.

    You must also comply with Australian Consumer Law, which includes rights to a repair, replacement or refund as well as compensation for damages and loss.

  6. Plan how you will communicate the recall

    Use clear and direct communication, often on multiple channels, for an effective product recall. Consumers need to find out about the recall, how dangerous it is and know what to do.

  7. Track, review, report and adjust

    To make your recall successful, you need to track, review and be prepared to report on the success of the recall. You may need to adjust what you are doing to improve its effectiveness.

  8. Finalise the recall

    There is no set timeline for how long you should carry out a recall. You need to consider if you have done enough to reduce the risk to consumers.

See also