First reported 21 Jul 2017•Latest report 11 Apr 2025
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes failures of retail or online point-of-sale arrangements to provide, require or make available clear safety warnings or use guidance for products or equipment presenting a material public-safety risk, including warnings about water conditions and safety equipment for paddleboards, fire risks from paraffin-containing emollients, and restraint or strangulation risks from high-risk lap belts.
Not included
Excludes product-packaging or enclosed-information warnings where no point-of-sale warning or purchaser-facing sales process is identified; those belong to the existing product-safety-labelling concern.
Excludes neutral product information, ordinary instructions or general consumer advice where no serious safety hazard is communicated.
Excludes restrictions on access, suitability assessments or regulation of product sales when the failure is not the absence or unreliability of purchaser-facing safety warnings.
Excludes warnings directed solely to professionals or staff when purchasers are not the relevant recipients.
Reports
4
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
4
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2017–2025
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
15
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Department of Health and Social Care3
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency3
NHS England2
Proprietary Association of Great Britain2
Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited1
Arjo UK Limited1
Bayer plc1
Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust1
Care Quality Commission1
Homecare Association Limited1
Locala Community Partnerships C.I.C.1
Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street1
Public Ltd1
Tesco PLC1
Thornton & Ross Limited1
Medicines and medical devices regulator3
Ministerial department3
Executive non-departmental public body2
Private limited company2
Public limited company2
Trade association2
Community interest company1
Executive office1
Health and social care service regulator1
NHS trust1
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
Rutland and North Leicestershire
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide purchasers with warnings about the risks of high-risk lap belts
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.9
Action
Publish a product safety report warning about the ORTONES belt and documenting the corrective action taken.
Stated by Office for Product Safety and StandardsStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 17 April 2025.
Action
Review wider intelligence on wheelchair and armchair support belts, including incidents, standards and product instructions and warnings.
Stated by Office for Product Safety and StandardsStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 17 April 2025.
Action
Write to major online marketplaces about inadequate instructions and warnings, and alert them that the ORTONES belt should not be supplied.
Stated by Office for Product Safety and StandardsStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 17 April 2025.
Action
Highlight activity concerning support-belt safety to relevant stakeholders, including Age UK and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
Stated by Office for Product Safety and StandardsStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 17 April 2025.
Action
Continue monitoring evidence and engaging UK retailers and manufacturers to promote clear instructions and warnings and safer foreseeable use.
Stated by Office for Product Safety and StandardsStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 17 April 2025.
Action
Write to the Office of Product Safety and Standards expressing concerns about the lap belt product.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 17 April 2025.
Action
Review the relevant safety standard and ORTONES belt instructions for warnings concerning prescription, fitting, skin injury and strangulation risks.
Stated by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory AgencyStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 17 April 2025.
Action
Advise OPSS of concerns about support belts and highlight the missing safety information in the ORTONES belt instructions.
Stated by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory AgencyStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 17 April 2025.
Action
Inform OPSS about the ongoing investigation and include it in manufacturer communications to assess proposed corrective actions.
Stated by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory AgencyStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 17 April 2025.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.4
Position
Responsibility for concerns about lap belt product advertising, sale, warnings and safety information sits with another organisation.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Position
Support belts marketed for general accident prevention are generally unlikely to qualify as medical devices or accessories under UK regulations.
Stated by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory AgencyDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Position
Addressing missing warnings for belts not classified as medical devices or accessories is outside the regulator’s remit.
Stated by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory AgencyOutside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Position
The Office of Product Safety and Standards is the relevant regulator for concerns about unregulated supportive belts and their warnings.
Stated by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory AgencyRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
North Wales (East and Central)
Concerns raised1
Lack of mandatory safety advice for paddleboard purchasers at retail sale
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
Action
Review the paddleboard products and accompanying safety information, including warnings.
Stated by Tesco Stores LimitedStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 4 January 2023.
Action
Add front-of-package safety stickers with life-jacket, buoyancy-aid, leash-use warnings and a QR code, then distribute or affix them to product units.
Stated by Tesco Stores LimitedStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 4 January 2023.
Action
Refer the report to Hertfordshire Trading Standards to determine whether further action is needed.
Stated by Department for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 4 January 2023.
Action
Ask OPSS to write to the Business Reference Panel about distributors’ awareness of paddleboard safety obligations.
Stated by Department for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 4 January 2023.
Action
Ask OPSS to liaise with enforcement partners and, where appropriate, manufacturers about awareness of the incident and potential action.
Stated by Department for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 4 January 2023.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Position
The paddleboard products are considered safe and already have appropriate instructions.
Stated by Tesco Stores LimitedDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Position
Hertfordshire Trading Standards will decide whether further enforcement action is needed regarding paddleboard safety advice and point-of-sale information.
Stated by Department for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
West Yorkshire (Western)
Concerns raised1
Unavailability of verbal fire-risk warnings from healthcare professionals for retail and online purchases
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
Action
Update personnel communicating with healthcare professionals and the public on the assessment outcome and subsequent labelling changes.
Stated by Alliance Pharmaceuticals LimitedStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 30 October 2018.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
Other recipients of the report will address concerns about healthcare warnings, prescribing systems, incident data and fire-safety training.
Stated by Bayer plcRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
West Yorkshire (West)
Concerns raised1
Failure to verbally inform over-the-counter purchasers of fire hazards from low-paraffin emollient creams
This report raised 8 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
Warnings on emollient packaging and to the general public are matters for other recipients with a broader remit.
Stated by Locala Community PartnershipsRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Pin
Get email alerts
Request correction
Includes failures of retail or online point-of-sale arrangements to provide, require or make available clear safety warnings or use guidance for products or equipment presenting a material public-safety risk, including warnings about water conditions and safety equipment for paddleboards, fire risks from paraffin-containing emollients, and restraint or strangulation risks from high-risk lap belts.
