Understanding Voluntary Recalls: What Your Business Needs To Know

If a business supplies a product that becomes, or may become, unsafe, it has a duty to quickly remove the risk to public safety, notify consumers and the responsible Commonwealth Minister and offer compensation publicly in accordance with Australian Consumer Law requirements.

Consumers are entitled to expect that the products they purchase are safe.

This article sets out when a voluntary recall may be required, outlines your obligations during a recall and provides steps to minimise the risk of having to recall your products.

When is a recall needed?

Your business should recall a consumer product if you become aware that:

• using the product presents a risk of injury to a person
• using or misusing the product in a reasonably foreseeable way may injure a person