INDUSTRY COMMENT: BHETA
PRODUCT SAFETY REFORM: BHETA URGES DIY SUPPLIERS AND RETAILERS TO SUPPORT A FAIRER UK MARKET
Steve Edwards, BHETA’s sector manager for DIY and garden offers his view on why UK DIY, home improvement and garden suppliers and retailers should engagement with the government over its consultation on the future of the UK product safety framework.
B
HETA is urging all DIY
and garden
suppliers, retailers and marketplace operators selling products in the UK
to engage with the government’s consultation on the future of the UK product safety framework. The consultation is especially important for the DIY and garden sector because it addresses a long- standing concern for responsible UK businesses – how to ensure that all products sold into the UK market, including those supplied by overseas sellers through online marketplaces, meet appropriate safety and legal standards.
How DIY is affected
It should go without saying that consumers buying tools, electrical products, batteries, chargers, ladders, heating products, garden equipment, adhesives, hardware, and spare parts need confidence that the products they buy are safe, properly described and supplied by an accountable business. Equally, that where unsafe or poorly documented products have been listed online, they can be removed quickly and not as it sometimes the case now, reappear under another seller name. As things stand, however, both consumers and legitimate DIY businesses are losing out to unscrupulous sellers and sales practices. Hence, the need for the product safety regulation in this area.
We need to level the playing field Throughout 2024 and 2025, BHETA lobbied Government, regulators, and enforcement bodies on the need to create a more level playing field for UK suppliers and retailers with particular emphasis on sales via marketplaces.
Our central message has been
clear. UK businesses that invest in product testing, traceability, labelling, documentation, customer
8 DIY WEEK MAY 2026
service and recall processes should not be commercially disadvantaged by sellers who avoid those responsibilities, particularly where products are sold online from outside the UK. These proposals from the Government include clearer duties for online marketplaces to act with due care, prevent and remove unsafe or non-compliant products, verify sellers, cooperate with authorities, and ensure essential product safety information can be provided clearly to consumers before purchase. This is why BHETA believes this direction of travel should be broadly welcomed.
It should be stressed that the consultation is not about restricting fair competition. Compliant overseas sellers should continue to trade successfully in the UK. Nor is it about adding unnecessary bureaucracy for responsible suppliers. The objective must be a market where every business selling into the UK meets the same basic expectations on safety, traceability, and accountability.
The reforms must be practical. Within the scope of this Government consultation document, there are, of course, issues that need careful handling. New rules must be proportionate, practical, and supported by clear guidance. They must not simply add paperwork, delay listings, or increase costs for businesses already doing the right thing. MEs especially will need clarity on what evidence, documentation and checks are expected.
This is why BHETA is so keen for DIY, garden, and electrical businesses to engage with the consultation now, while there is an opportunity to frame the details in a workable and appropriate manner.
Broadly, we
are recommending support for the principles in the document because the proposed legislation will help to eliminate rogue players in the market. But we all need to get involved in the discussion to press for proportionate implementation and effective enforcement. To that end, BHETA is offering
to help interested parties with suggested model answers and key points to consider when preparing their own responses. Members or sector stakeholders who would like support should contact BHETA to discuss the consultation and how best to make their views heard.
What to do next
The consultation is available on the UK Government website at:
www.gov.uk/government/ consultations/product-regulation- the-uks-new-product-safety- framework. Readers can also find it by searching online for: ‘Product regulation: the UK’s new product safety framework consultation’. Please get involved.
About BHETA BHETA represents suppliers in the home improvement, garden, housewares, and small electricals sectors, providing members with insight, networking, and business development opportunities. For more information, contact BHETA Member Services on 0121 237 1130 or visit
www.bheta.co.uk.
www.diyweek.net
Left: Steve Edwards, BHETA’s sector manager for DIY and garden
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