If a product is a risk to safety, or it does not comply with a mandatory standard or product ban, your business may need to recall it.
The ACCC has today published updated practical guidance and tools for businesses on when and how a product safety recall should occur.
The guidance includes checklists, sample messages, templates, and a recall plan. It also details what the ACCC expects of suppliers during a recall and the role of the ACCC and government in recalls.
Key steps to recall an unsafe product
- stop the supply of the product
- inform the ACCC within 2 days of taking recall action
- warn consumers of the hazard the product presents
- offer consumers a remedy in the form of a repair, replacement or refund, and
- monitor your recall to ensure consumers receive a remedy
If a death or serious injury or illness has been associated with a product, suppliers also need to lodge a mandatory report with the ACCC.
Prevention
The guidance outlines steps suppliers can take to reduce the chance of a safety issue with their products in the first place, and tools to help business to assess the severity, probability, and level of risk.
Advice for retailers
Research shows that consumers appreciate businesses that are honest about safety risks.
Consumers also have more trust and confidence in a business when a recall is well-managed. Where a product has caused an injury, a well-managed recall is expected to reduce legal risk.
The NRA encourages businesses to review and be prepared with a recall plan that meets their obligations under the ACCC guidelines and to ensure their quality assurance processes support this.
Read the guidance here