3D printed products warning

People are being urged to ensure 3D printed products are correctly labelled and meet safety regulations. 

The warning comes from Lincolnshire County Council Trading Standards officers, who have seen increasing numbers of non-compliant products being sold on online marketplaces. 

Many 3D printed products are classed as toys and need to comply with relevant standards. This is vital and helps to ensure the items are safe and don’t pose a choking risk to children, for example.

Anyone selling products is required to ensure their safety and display important information by law, including:

• GB name and address for the manufacturer (or importer)
• A product identifier, type, batch, serial or model number
• The CE and/or UKCA mark

Neil Bartlett, trading standards officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “With the increasing popularity of 3D printers, we’re seeing more products that don’t meet the important safety standards that are in place to protect people.

“Trading Standards monitor online marketplaces and carry out regular inspections of products. Any that are found to be unsafe may be seized and destroyed and the printers behind them could also face legal consequences.

“It’s also worth noting that trademarked characters and logos by brands such as Disney are subject to intellectual property rights and should not be reproduced without the authority of the trademark holder."

Anyone manufacturing or distributing 3D products can find out more about their legal responsibilities and the labelling required for their items at the following links:  

Many 3D printed products are classed as toys and fall under The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011. If no product specific legislation applies, then the product falls under the scope of The General Product Safety Regulations 2005

The picture above shows examples of 3D printed products seized by Trading Standards officers.