Product safety begins with design or formulation whether it is for a complex engineering product or a simple household article. Those who suffer damage from a design defect can win compensation
without having to prove negligence. Manufacturers, suppliers and importers can all be responsible for ensuring that their products are safe. To help protect them against prosecution, customer
dissatisfaction and commercial loss requires a programme of risk reduction, which begins with the management of design. Design and product development require a balanced approach to the new
realities of the legal situation, both for companies and individual designers. Part One reviews the strategy needed to manage design in the fresh legal climate and includes guidance on
techniques that can be used. Part Two is a jargon-free guide through the difficult area of international product liability law. It has been entirely rewritten to reflect the many recent changes
to influence European law and a designer’s personal liability. Part Three brings home vividly the physical, legal and commercial risks of product defects and demonstrates ways in which they
could be prevented. There are over 20 real life, fascinating and instructive case histories, many of them new, ranging from exploding office chairs to ro-ro ferries and from washing powder to
aircraft. Safer by Design is exceptional in providing management and risk assessment advice, coupled with legal guidance and actual practical lessons.
