UK Government's Product Safety Revamp Sparks New

Although the announcement on 2 August of a new consultation period was greeted with a mixed response – unsurprisingly given the lengthy amount of time allowed to lapse in reviewing options – at least the UK government does say it wants to develop a product safety regime that allows for “greater scope to innovate when producing safe products”.

By establishing such a principle, this means there is no better time to get fresh ideas into the mix from innovators, designers, and divergent thinkers – in fact all those with forward-thinking approaches to product design and safety should now step forward as the UK regulatory shake-up begins in earnest.

One opportunity coming hot on the heels of the government’s plans is the Safety Innovation Award, hosted by Electrical Safety First and sponsored by Product IP, which showcases exceptional work and gives recognition for those showing commitment to improving electrical safety.

Open to all individuals, companies, organisations, and institutions, the award looks particularly for projects or innovations which can demonstrate ingenuity, creativity, and practicality.

Rewarding innovation with safety at its heart

Product safety is an industry which consistently produces incredible innovation, and this award unearths it by showcasing groundbreaking projects and products which prioritise safety from their very inception – as is clear from its list of most recent winners, all of which are proving to be hugely successful developments in helping the UK become – as the government wishes – “fit for the digital age”.

In 2020, the “world's smallest fire extinguisher” triumphed – the ingenious E-Bulb, created by JOB Group, seamlessly integrates into electrical appliances and possesses the incredible ability to extinguish internal fires before they even become visible.

The following year it was Aico's Ei1000G SmartLINK® Gateway – a bridge between data from smoke and fire alarms and a cloud portal – which emerged as a clear victor. Developed with housing associations and social landlords, the gateway keeps homeowners and landlords informed about alarm status, boosting confidence in property safety. But it also does much more, monitoring humidity and air quality, surpassing standard alarm capabilities, and influencing consumer behaviour through direct messaging.

The 2022 winners, Connected Innovations, created an ingenious smart socket device able to monitor the external environment and quickly shut off appliances if a build-up of heat is detected in the plugs and surrounding wiring.

CEO and founder Anthony Parfitt expressed his delight at the industry exposure the award has provided for him and his entire team, saying: “This is the result of so much hard work which was inspired by the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire. Too many lives are lost to preventable electrical fires and Ci technologies can help prevent these tragedies from happening again.”

Challenging convention, redefining thinking

The amazing innovations highlighted by this award are consistently impressive, showing that great ideas can come from anywhere, challenge conventions, and redefine what we think we know about product safety. Two of the most important factors to the Safety Innovation Award are that it is free-to-enter and it welcomes applications either at the initial design phase or fully-realised concepts.

The deadline for entries for the 2023 Safety Innovation Award is fast approaching, with Thursday 31 August as the cut-off date for submissions. The winner will be announced during the annual Electrical Product Safety Conference in November and will enjoy a unique opportunity to present their innovation to an audience of industry leaders, safety-minded professionals, and organisations dedicated to electrical safety and protecting consumers.

The conference will also showcase information about all the shortlisted applicants’ innovations, and experts from the technical team at Electrical Safety First will provide a half-day of coaching to suitable candidates to help further develop their product or project and navigate the challenging journey to market.

So, whether you're a young designer with a brilliant idea or an industry veteran with a cutting-edge product, this is a great opportunity for you and your team to get the recognition you deserve. With the UK government’s product safety review firmly in the spotlight, now is the perfect time to submit your idea to safeguard lives and see your innovation develop. Take the chance, you just might win.