Hollingworth & Spencer is a commercially-based practice with offices at The Gap and Samford.   Adam Robinson, as principal, leads our team of lawyers and has a proven track record of providing practical and affordable legal advice.   Our areas of practice are diverse and include commercial transactions, conveyancing, wills and estates and testamentary trusts.  We are committed to the local region, and we take an active interest in seeing that our clients succeed.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP

At Hollingworth & Spencer we aim to keep our approach as personal and professional as we can.  We want our clients to know the people who are attending to their important business.  Our goal is to provide you with the highest standard of legal services in the way most appropriate and responsive to your needs.  We value the importance of learning and understanding how your business works so that we may identify the best solutions for you.

MANDATORY REPORTING OF UNSAFE PRODUCTS

Are you a large or small business providing consumer goods to clients?

Mandatory reporting laws came into effect on 1 January 2011 requiring businesses to report unsafe products sold which has resulted in serious injury, illness or death. The system is not an admission of liability but rather aimed at protecting consumers from products which are identified as being unsafe.

The laws apply to all large or small businesses in the supply chain including retailers, dealers, hirers, distributors, installers, repairers, importers, exporters and manufacturers on consumer goods. It will also relate to services associated with the goods (installation, maintenance etc).

When must a report be made?

The individual supplier is responsible for making a report where:

1. They become aware consumer goods supplied by them have resulted in serious injury, illness or death.
2. The supplier considers the death or serious injury or illness was caused by, or may have been caused by, the use or foreseeable misuse of the consumer goods; OR
   the supplier become aware the a person other than the suppliers considers that the death or serious injury or illness was caused, or may have been caused, by the use or foreseeable misuse of the consumer goods.

A report must be made within 2 days of a supplier becoming aware of the incident.

These laws apply in all cases where a supplier became aware in either way stipulated in point 2 (above) after 31 December 2010, regardless of the date of incident.

Consumer goods are defined as goods intended to be used for personal, domestic or household use or consumption.

Reports can be made online here.

If you are unsure about liability for reporting under these laws, please contact Adam Robinson.

POOL SAFETY REFORMS - IS YOUR EXISTING POOL COMPLIANT?

Do you have an existing pool in your home?  Will it comply with the new regulations?  Are you thinking of purchasing a home with an existing pool?  What are your obligations if the pool does not comply with the new regulations? Our latest Legal Alert will help to explain the new changes coming into effect this summer.  Simply click on our 'Publications' tab to find out what you need to know.