GB/T 39012-2020Consumer product safety—Guidelines for risk alert (English PDF)

3.1 Consumer product

product that is designed, produced mainly for but not limited to personal use, including product components, parts, accessories, instructions for use and packaging [GB/T 35248-2017, definition 2.2]

3.2 Consumer product safety

the state that consumer product is exempt from unacceptable risk [GB/T 28803-2012, definition 3.4]

3.3 Harm

damage to human health or property

NOTE: Rewrite GB/T 20002.4-2015, definition 3.1.

3.4 Risk

a comprehensive measure of harm, including likelihood and extent of harm [GB/T 22760-2008, definition 2.5]

3.5 Risk assessment

a whole process that includes risk analysis and risk evaluation [GB/T 22760-2008, definition 2.11]

3.6 Early-warning

predict and issue alarms for possible abnormal conditions or emergencies [GB/T 35253-2017, definition 3.7]

3.7 Rating of early-warning

alert level divided according to the urgency of the emergency, the development trend and the degree of possible harm [GB/T 35253-2017, definition 3.8]

4.1 Scientific method

When conducting risk early-warning of consumer product safety, it needs to use reasonable and reliable scientific methods to make risk early-warning process objective and comprehensive.

4.2 Standardized process

Risk early-warning of consumer product safety is carried out according to standardized process. Various links are connected organically. The overall work is proceeded smoothly from beginning to end, so as to improve efficiency and reduce costs for risk early-warning of consumer product safety.

5.2.1 Overview

Considering the safety risks of consumer products and the social tolerance of consumer product safety risks, according to the relevant regulations of GB/T 35253-2017, the risk early-warning level of consumer product safety is divided into four levels: red, orange, yellow, and blue.

5.2.2 Red early-warning (level I early-warning)

When an extremely serious consumer product safety risk event occurs, which may greatly threaten the safety of the national consumer product market, have a very bad negative impact on the construction of the consumer product industry, cause social unrest, and seriously damage the interests of consumers, it should issue a red early-warning, that is, consumer product with serious risk has low social tolerance.

5.2.3 Orange early-warning (level II early-warning)

When a serious consumer product safety risk event occurs, which may threaten the safety of the national consumer product market, have a major negative impact on the construction of the consumer product industry, cause social panic, and harm the interests of consumers, it should issue an orange early-warning. Include the followings:

a) Consumer product with serious risk has medium social tolerance;

b) Consumer product with medium risk has low social tolerance.

5.2.4 Yellow early-warning (level III early-warning)

When a serious consumer product safety risk event occurs, which may affect the safety of the national consumer product market, have a certain negative impact on the construction of the consumer product industry, disrupt social order, and affect consumer interests, it should issue a yellow early-warning. Include the followings:

a) Consumer product with serious risk has medium social tolerance;

b) Consumer product with medium risk has low or medium social tolerance;

c) Consumer product with low risk has low or medium social tolerance;

d) Consumer product with tolerable risk has low social tolerance.

5.2.5 Blue early-warning (level IV early-warning)

When a general consumer product safety risk event occurs, which will basically have no impact on the national consumer product market safety, consumer

d) Risk report information of production and operation enterprises;

e) Consumer complaint information;

f) Media public opinion information.

6.3 Comprehensive research and judgment

Verify, analyze and organize risk information. Use the corresponding risk assessment method to obtain the safety risk level. At the same time, consider the social tolerance of consumer product safety risk. According to the determination method for early-warning level given in Clause 5, analyze and judge the early-warning level of consumer product safety risk. Use comprehensive research and judgment results as the basis for early-warning release and early-warning response.

6.4 Release of risk early-warning

6.4.1 Release range of risk early-warning

Government authorities in charge, industry organizations, and consumer product manufacturers and other early-warning release agencies, according to the results of risk information research and judgment, form early-warning notification and issue early-warning within a certain range:

a) Government authorities in charge:

- Issue risk early-warning notices to production and operation enterprises to remind or notify them to take timely measures to reduce risks;

- Issue risk early-warning announcement to the society to remind consumers to pay attention to and prevent the risks and hazards of related consumer products.

b) Industry organizations:

Issue risk early-warning notices to production and operation enterprises to remind or notify them to take timely measures to reduce risks.

c) Consumer product manufacturers:

Issue risk early-warning notices within the company to remind or notify them to take timely risk avoidance measures.

6.4.2 Content of risk early-warning release

The content of risk early-warning release includes: […]

A.1 Overview

The determination of social tolerance level of consumer product safety risk includes two steps: preliminary determination of social tolerance and revision of the result of preliminary determination of social tolerance.

A.2 Preliminary determination of social tolerance

The social tolerance of consumer product safety risk is mainly determined by the characteristics of consumer group. Carry out the preliminary determination of social tolerance based on the characteristics of consumer group. Revise it according to the characteristics of consumer product. The determination principle is as follows:

- If the consumer group has no obvious characteristics, the social tolerance is initially determined as medium tolerance;

- If the consumer group is mainly children, the elderly, patients and other people with low tolerance for injury caused by dangerous events or situations, since this consumer group is weaker than normal consumers in terms of behavioral ability and cognitive ability, it is vulnerable to accidental injury, then initially determine the social tolerance as low tolerance;

- If the consumer group is mainly young or middle-aged, educated, and economically capable, the social tolerance is initially determined as medium tolerance;

- If the consumer group is mainly young or middle-aged, with a higher degree of education and a higher income, since this consumer group is stronger than normal consumers in cognitive ability and risk tolerance, then initially determine the social tolerance as high tolerance.

A.3 Correction of preliminary determination result of social tolerance

After obtaining the preliminary determination result of the social tolerance of consumer product safety risk, considering the following consumer product characteristics, make amendments to preliminary determination result: […]