Description of the issue Related actions andor expectations Description of the issue 2178

© ISO 2007 - all rights reserved 49  Accept liability for the impacts of goods and services that cause harm to consumers and compensate 2121 them for damages caused by such deficiencies. To do so, the organization should consider having 2122 sufficient insurance cover to meet its liabilities; 2123  Protect especially vulnerable groups who might not have the capacity to recognize or assess potential 2124 dangers; 2125  Not introduce goods or services where a significant proportion of the population has expressed strong 2126 reservations or even opposition to such goods or services, for example genetically modified food; and 2127 Suppliers, exporters, importers, retailers and other related organizations should adopt measures that 2128 prevent products from becoming unsafe through improper handling or storage while in their care. 2129 b Procedures that should be used when taking the above actions 2130 An organization should: 2131  Set up a system to bring about conformance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as to 2132 relevant standards and other specifications relating to health and safety aspects of the goods and 2133 services concerned; 2134  Establish a monitoring system to register and evaluate any dangerous incidents involving products, to 2135 identify their health and safety risks; 2136  Regularly review chemicals used. Develop a program to eventually replace substances of concern with 2137 less dangerous products. The results of such efforts should be reported; 2138  Take corrective action and modify the product as quickly as possible where health and safety concerns 2139 or breaches of laws or regulations are found; 2140  Minimize risks in the design of products: 2141  Identify the likely user groups and pay special care to vulnerable groups; 2142  Identify the intended use and assess the reasonably foreseeable misuse of the product, 2143 process or service; 2144  Identify each hazard arising in all the stages and conditions of use of the product, process or 2145 service, including installation, maintenance, repair and destructiondisposal, for example 2146 mechanical entrapment, choking, suffocation, etc, chemical, thermal, electrical, acoustic, 2147 drowning; 2148  Estimate and evaluate the risk to each identified usercontact group arising from the hazards 2149 identified; and 2150  Reduce the risk. When reducing risks, the order of priority should be: 2151  Inherently safe design; 2152  Protective devices; 2153  Information for users. 2154  Perform an independent third-party human health risk assessment of goods and services before their 2155 introduction. When new materials andor production methods, for example nanotechnology or genetic 2156 engineering, are used, all relevant documentation should be made publicly available. 2157

6.7.5 Consumer issue 3: Mechanism for product recall 77 2158

6.7.5.1 Description of the issue

2159 Organizations have a responsibility for the products they sell or provide even after purchase or delivery. 2160 This responsibility derives from the causer pays principle. 2161 50 © ISO 2007 - all rights reserved

6.7.5.2 Related actions andor expectations

2162 If a product, after having been placed on the market, turns out to present an unforeseen hazard or to be 2163 defective an organization should: 2164  Notify the relevant authorities and the public in all countries where the product was sold, even if sold by 2165 other organizations. In so doing, an organization should clearly: 2166  Identify the product and when it was produced. Use illustrations to raise awareness of the 2167 product and the recall; 2168  Specify the kind of risk posed by the product; and 2169  Explain what consumers should do to return the product. 2170  Recall all products that are still in the distribution chain; 2171  Take measures to inform vulnerable groups and people living in rural areas; 2172  Repair, replace, modify or substitute another product for the defective product; 2173  Adequately compensate consumers without delay; and 2174  Establish a system to trace products to be able to recall products. 2175 6.7.6 Consumer issue 4: Provision and development of environmentally and socially beneficial 2176 goods and services 2177

6.7.6.1 Description of the issue 2178

[Goods and services offered by organizations should have a positive social and environmental value.] 2179 Organizations should therefore not only manufacture and deliver goods and services in a socially and 2180 environmentally friendly way, but also the goods and services they offer should be as socially and 2181 environmentally friendly as possible. Activities to this end are based on the idea that all parties should 2182 contribute to sustainable development see Clause 6.5 The environment for further details. 2183 Barrier-free design enables elderly people, physically disadvantaged or disabled people and people who 2184 are illiterate to access and use these goods and services. 2185

6.7.6.2 Related actions andor expectations 2186