National product safety office carries out first enforcement action
Hardwood Dimensions (Holdings) Ltd fined 拢4,000 for failure to ensure product was made from legally-harvested timber
British timber operator Hardwood Dimensions (Holdings) Ltd today (2 March) was fined 拢4,000 for breaching regulations prohibiting the importing and sale of illegally harvested timber.
The fine marked the first enforcement action carried out by the Government鈥檚 new Office for Product Safety and Standards since its establishment earlier this year.
Hardwood鈥檚 failed to check the legality of a batch of timber from Cameroon when placing it on the market, breaching regulations requiring businesses trading in timber and timber products in the UK to ensure that their products originate from legal sources.
At Manchester Magistrates Court, the company was convicted and fined 拢4,000 plus costs after pleading guilty at the first hearing.
Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said:
The new Office for Product Safety and Standards strengthens the UK鈥檚 already tough product safety and enforcement rules and today鈥檚 decision by the court sends a powerful message to companies that they need to ensure any products they sell originate from legitimate sources.
Mike Kearney, Head of Enforcement at the Office for Product Safety and Standards, said:
This conviction shows just how serious we are about compliance issues and how we will take rapid action when rules have been broken to protect consumers, businesses and the environment.
Taking into account their mitigation and credit for an early guilty plea, Hardwood鈥檚 was fined 拢4,000 plus a victim surcharge of 拢170 and prosecution costs of 拢3,273. The total of 拢7,443 was ordered to be paid within 28 days.