• The Trade Inspection Authority has examined 282 batches of barbecues and firelighters.
• The inspectors were dissatisfied with 18 percent of them, mainly due to their markings.
• UOKiK offers advice on how to have a safe barbecue.

In the third quarter of 2017, the Trade Inspection Authority carried out two inspections whose results might be interesting for those who like to organise outdoor meetings. The first of them focused on barbecues and firelighters, while the second one - on biocidal products.

Barbecues and firelighters

Inspectors examined 203 batches of barbecues (single- and multiple-use, portable, fixed, closed and open ones) and 79 batches of firelighters. They also inspected 72 businesses from across Poland, mainly those running large format stores. Twenty-four product samples (5 barbecues and 19 firelighters) underwent laboratory examination for safety regulations compliance.

In total, the Authority contested 51 batches of products (18.09 percent), including
41 barbecues and 10 firelighters, due to various faults. It is a much higher figure than in the previous inspection of 2015, when the Authority detected faults in 13.6 percent of the products.

Markings were the main reason for objection, and included incomplete information in the manuals and lack of necessary warnings. Individual barbecues had construction errors and a few firelighters lacked the dispenser or it came off the package. Most businesses corrected the markings already during the inspection. Faulty products were withdrawn from sale.

Biocidal products

At the same time, the Trade Inspection Authority inspected 53 businesses selling biocidal products that are used to kill or repel rodents, snails, ants, mosquitoes and ticks. The Authority checked whether they had correct packaging and markings. It examined
172 batches of products and contested 10 of them (5.8 percent). The faults included lack of recommendations for use or information on potential side-effects of a given product. In the shops, inspectors also found six batches of products past their sell-by dates, and as
a result of the inspection they were withdrawn from sale.

How to have a safe barbecue in the garden?

• before you light a barbecue, place it on a stable, horizontal surface,
• do not use rectified spirit or petrol to light the fire,
• use only firelighters that are compliant with the PN-EN 1860-3 norm,
• you can only put food on the grill when the barbecue is hot and the coals have been glowing for at least 30 minutes,
• do not cook food before the coals are covered with a layer of ash,
• do not move the barbecue when in use,
• make sure children and pets do not get near the hot barbecue,
• also make sure that the firelighter and biocidal products that you use to repel mosquitoes are out of reach of children,

How to buy biocidal products?

• note the recommendations for use, dosage and amounts of the biocidal product
• remember that the packaging should contain information on the direct and indirect side-effects of using the product as well as instructions on how to give first aid,
• look at the sell-by date. The producer is not obliged to quote it, but if they do, please make sure that the product is not post its sell-by date.

The audit report is available only in Polish.

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office 
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Phone: +48 695 902 088
Email: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL