About the product safety rules
The rules and processes for the safety of products and product-related services are set under the Australian Consumer Law. These rules are designed to protect consumers.
Product safety in Australia is governed by the Australian Consumer Law. State and territory fair trading legislation also has relevant rules. Australia’s product liability laws are a mixture of common law and Federal and state legislation.
Consumers automatically have a set of basic rights when they buy a good or service. These basic rights are called consumer guarantees. One of the guarantees is that products are of acceptable quality and are safe.
About product standards, bans and recalls
Under Australian Consumer Law, government can set mandatory safety standards for a product, ban a product, or issue a compulsory recall.
Businesses can voluntarily recall a product if there is a safety concern or issue. Businesses doing a voluntary recall need to notify the Minister by completing a form on the ACCC website within 2 days of doing the recall.
Bans can be placed on products and product related services if there is a risk of them causing serious injury, illness or death.
Some products have mandatory standards they have to meet before they can be sold in Australia.
The ACCC administers the recall rules in the Australian Consumer Law. We oversee the actions of suppliers conducting a consumer product recall. We don't oversee the actions of other regulators when they are the lead agency of a recall.