Fuel crisis: Hopefully the panic buying of fuel is behind us, but unfortunately, some people may be tempted to buy more fuel than they need and store it at home, however this is incredibly dangerous. During the height of the panic buying, we received reports of individuals buying large quantities of petrol and diesel, and then offering it for sale on social media. Petrol is a highly flammable liquid that gives off vapours that can be easily ignited. Any leak of petrol can lead to a serious fire and/or explosion, particularly if the leak occurs within a building. As well as producing a fire hazard, the vapour can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, and exposure to high concentrations, particularly in restricted spaces, can cause dizziness and unconsciousness. You can store up to 30 litres of petrol at home or at non-workplace premises without informing Trading Standards. However, if you wish to store more than 30 litres of petrol and up to a maximum of 275 litres of petrol at your home or premises you need to follow the legal requirements for doing this, which are:
- You should notify Trading Standards in writing, giving your name and address as the occupier of the storage place or the address where the petrol is stored. This is not a new requirement but carries forward long standing requirements of the previous legislation.
You can store it in:
- suitable portable metal or plastic containers
- demountable fuel tanks
- a combination of the above as long as no more than 275 litres is kept.
Any petrol and diesel that is being stored should be kept in a storage building with adequate ventilation and fire protection. If you do have to fill up a separate vessel make sure you use a suitable container such as one that is UN approved, that meets the requirements outlined in the link below, and not a water bottle or even a plastic shopping bag like we’ve seen on social media.
Containers can have a maximum capacity of:
- Plastic containers - 10 litres
- Metal containers - 20 litres
Further details on suitable containers can be found on the HSE website: https://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/portabable-petrol-storage-containers.pdf
Vishing: This month on our social media channels we are spreading the word about vishing. Vishing is where a scammer will call you up on your landline or mobile phone pretending to be from your bank, building society, a government agency or a well-known company, and will fish for information from you. This is so they can steal your money or collect information so they can use your identity to commit fraud elsewhere. Vishing is a type of phishing scam that happens on the phone. The word vishing is a combination of ‘voice’ and ‘phishing’. How to spot a potential vishing scam:
- The caller claims to be from a trusted organisation such as your bank, the police, a government agency etc.
- You receive a call requesting personal or financial information
- The caller puts pressure on you, trying to make you panic and act quickly. They can also keep you on the phone for a long time in order to try to convince you.
Remember it is always ok to reject, refuse or ignore requests for your personal or financial information. Here is what to do when you receive a call that may come out of the blue with a request for your personal or financial information:
STOP: Only give out your personal or financial information to services you have consented to and are expecting to be contacted by.
CHALLENGE: could it be fake? Don’t give anyone remote access to your computer following a cold call. It’s ok to say ‘no’
PROTECT: If you think you’ve fallen for a scam by transferring money to another account for ‘safe-keeping’ or purchased high value goods/vouchers to cover the cost of fines, contact your bank immediately and report it to us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Read more about vishing in this East Anglian Daily Times article: https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/crime/what-are-vishing-scams-8388502
Natasha's Law: As of 1st October, Natasha's Law requires full labelling of ingredients on all prepacked food. All food presented to consumers face to face, in packaging, before they select or order it, and which is packed on the same premises from which it is offered (including a mobile site if packed by the same business) is caught by the new allergen labelling law relating to pre-packed for direct sale food. For example, bakery products which are packed at the food businesses’ premises and then sold from the premises, on a mobile sandwich van or at a food fayre. The food must be labelled with the name of the food and a list of ingredients, with any of the 14 main allergens emphasised if these are present in the food.
The Food Standards Agency has produced a useful toolkit in relation to the new law: https://www.food.gov.uk/allergen-labelling-changes-for-prepacked-for-direct-sale-ppds-food Within the toolkit are links to specialist guides, for example for bakers, butchers and farm shops etc.
The Food Standards Agency also provides free allergens training and resources, which can be found here: https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergy-training-for-food-businesses
Business companion has also produced the following helpful guidance: https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/food-and-drink/labelling-of-prepacked-for-direct-sale-foods
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has also produced a food allergen resource, including information on the new allergen labelling law for pre-packed for direct sale food: https://www.tradingstandards.uk/practitioners/food-allergen-resource
If you have any queries regarding the new law or would like a visit to receive tailored advice and guidance relevant to your business and product range, please contact us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Covid pass: Criminals are using the NHS COVID Pass as a way to target the public by convincing them to hand over money, financial details and personal information. They are sending imitation text messages, emails and making phone calls pretending to be from the NHS, and offering fake vaccine certificates for sale online and through social media.
- The NHS App is free.
- The NHS COVID Pass is free.
- The NHS will never ask for payment or any financial details.
The NHS COVID Pass is available to demonstrate your COVID-19 status either in a digital or paper format via the NHS App, the NHS website or by calling 119. For information on how to get your FREE NHS COVID Pass visit: http://www.nhs.uk/nhscovidpass If you receive a call and suspect it to be fraudulent, hang up. If you are suspicious about an email, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk. If you are suspicious about a text message, forward it to the number 7726, which is free-of-charge.
Helping farmers: We know that the farming community are dealing with a great deal of strain at the moment. We would urge producers to ensure they speak to someone if they are struggling with the pressure the industry currently finds itself under. We are here to help. Please call us on 01473 264859 or email on tradingstandards@suffolk.gov.uk. If you or your staff are feeling overwhelmed, please speak to someone, be that someone you know, or if you'd feel more comfortable, someone you don’t know, such as a mental health professional. Support organisations out there, some dedicated to farming and rural communities, include:
The Farming Community Network (FCN) Website: https://www.fcn.org.uk/ Phone: 03000 111 999
You Are Not Alone (YANA) Website: https://www.yanahelp.org/ Phone: 0300 323 0400
The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) Website: https://www.rabi.org.uk/ Phone: 0808 281 9490
Samaritans Website: https://www.samaritans.org/ Phone: 116 123
Mind Website: https://www.mind.org.uk/ Phone: 0300 123 3393
Safety notice: Product Safety Notice issued by Smyth Toys for 18 bikes sold in their stores. The incorrect housing cable may have been used, which means, over time this may affect the performance of the brakes. This affects bikes sold from 1st January to 31st July 2021.
List of bikes affected:
105777 - 12" Hero Bike
143484 - 12" Strike II Bike
187671 - 12" Tiger Black/Red Bike
118062 - 14" Dinosaur Bike
128378 - 14" Police Bike
165961 - 14" Strike Air Tyre Bike
172771 - 16" Mini Freestyle Bike
102717 - 16" Strike Bike
158323 - 16" Team MX-16 Bike
165963 - 16" Team Pink GX-16 Bike
165964 - 18" Rein Bike
158325 - 20" Avery Bike
158326 - 20" Idaho Bike
136320 - 20" Nitro Green Half Mudguard Bike
136284 - 20" Nitro Pink Half Mudguard Bike
172772 - 20" Team GX-20 White/Pink Bike
158329 - 20" Team MX-20 Bike
135176 - 20" Blaze Bike
Please return your product to your local Smyths Toys Superstores, where their Bike Expert will inspect your bike, replace the cable and adjust your bike if required. If you have any queries, email Smyth Toys on cshelpdesk@smythstoys.com.