Ensuring unsafe goods don't make it onto our streets and into our homes is all in a day’s work for our Trading Standards team.
The team of five may be small in number but their experience is vast – and they use their knowledge and expertise every day to keep us safe from products that are potentially dangerous, harmful or illegal.
Recognition
In July, the team’s efforts to intercept unsafe goods coming through the port of Grangemouth was recognised by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), a UK-Government department created in 2018 to deliver consumer protection and support business confidence, productivity, and growth.
On the back being named runner’s up in OPSS’ Alternative Activities for Maritime Ports’ award, Chief Executive, Kenneth Lawrie, laced up his safety boots and put out his high-vis vest and hard hat to meet the team dockside.
During his visit, he watched the close-knit team inspect a container of potentially faulty fridge freezers that had arrived by sea that week. As well as physically checking the product, the team ensured the correct documentation, including test certificates, were all in place.
Kirstie Crosson, Trading Standards Coordinator, said: "We usually target high-risk goods such as cosmetics, toys, electrical goods, and sports equipment. The OPSS will ask us to hold containers in the port to check them and we’ll also identify containers to hold through our own manifest checks."
On average the team put a hold on up to 10 containers a month. Checking containers up to 40ft can take hours to complete and can be challenging “given the Scottish weather and the fact there are currently no nearby toilets!”.
Outstanding work
The team – aiming for the ‘gold standard’ within their field - secured additional funding from the OPSS in June this year because of the high quality and amount of work they do.
The funding boost will allow them to undertake additional and more regular checks at the Port of Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest port, over the next nine months.
Kirstie said: “We’re the only local authority in Scotland to receive the funding. That says a lot about the quality of our work, the relationships we have built up, and the behaviour change we have brought about – when we help a business and provide them with advice their next import will have the right documentation and test certificates.”
Team power
As well as working at the port, the team has legal powers to enter commercial premises to inspect, secure and seize material.
Compliance is their bread and butter, with the team enforcing the law to ensure fair trading, product safety, that correct age limits and restrictions are in place as well as ensure weights and measures are enforced and animal feed inspected.
The team also help tackle mass marketing scams and work in partnership with other agencies across the country to identify and support victims of mass marketing fraud.
Often with police assistance to identify individuals, Trading Standards investigate rogue traders, and several are currently being prosecuted thanks to their work.
Kenneth Lawrie, Chief Executive, said: “Having the opportunity to visit the port and see first-hand what Kirstie and her team do was fascinating and informative. They play such a vital role in protecting the public and ensuring unsafe goods are detained and destroyed. The teamwork I saw highlighted how passionate, dedicated, and skilled each member of the team is. It was only fitting that they were recognised through the OPSS awards earlier this year."
Further reading