Market surveillance projects

HSE carries out reactive market surveillance activity looking at significant health and safety issues and product compliance that has been brought to HSE's attention following accidents or complaints. HSE also undertakes some limited proactive risk based market surveillance and research activity. This may include some testing of specific products. This work may be instigated for a number of reasons including:

• to inform HSE of the risk potential of new and developing technology
• the import of possible non-compliant products, or
• to ensure the targeted products are safe because of an accident history with the type of product or intelligence from users

In some cases, this planned activity is undertaken jointly with other UK market surveillance authorities (MSAs) where the product is required to comply with several Directives or is in the grey area between professional and consumer use. HSE also acts in coordination with other MSAs in Europe where market surveillance responsibilities and interests align.

It is intended that further details about HSE's market surveillance activity (past, ongoing and planned) will be posted here. Recent and current market surveillance activity undertaken by HSE includes:

• provision of lifts in tall wind turbine towers
• safety of UV tubes in tanning equipment
• research on platforms lifts
• safety of industrial electric cables
• stability of scissor lifts
• safety and compliance of post driving machinery / attachments
• compliance of chainsaws that may be used by consumers or at work
• safety and compliance of firewood processing machinery / log splitters
• powered gates and component parts for these gates