Fairness is our aim

by Sandy Nicol

The primary role of Trading Standards is to help all businesses comply with the same set of rules, to ensure that the competition between them is fair, and to protect the health, safety and economic interests of the community. To this end we offer free advice and information to everyone. We know that the law is complex. Our responsibility is to simplify it, so that it can be clearly understood by businesses.

We always seek to develop constructive relationships with businesses to avoid situations where regulations might be breached. Our experience is that in many situations where the law is contravened, it is either a genuine mistake or due to lack of knowledge. Consequently, in these instances, breaches are usually dealt with by discussion and written advice. Where we discover deliberately dishonest trading or serious criminal offences then we have wide-ranging enforcement powers to protect the community, including reports to the Procurator Fiscal.

In our normal work we carry out regular inspections of trade premises. The frequency of visits varies according to the nature of the business and its trading history. We prefer to discover and resolve problems before they become a cause of consumer dissatisfaction or complaint. We also have a duty to carry out checks, for example on the accuracy of weighing machines and petrol pumps.

You can expect officers to deal with you in a courteous manner, but they do have the right of access to business premises at all reasonable times, and if you refuse them entry you will be committing an offence. Officers do not have to make appointments nor give advance notice of a visit, but may do so if they consider it appropriate. They are entitled to view computer records, take photographs and seize property they believe to be required as evidence if they suspect an offence has been committed.

If you have particular concerns regarding your business, we recommend that you contact us for advice, rather than wait for an inspection or complaint visit.

We will help you to:

• deal with the Trading Standards legislation relevant to your business,
• avoid unfair competition from other traders,
• meet your obligations to your customers, and
• establish systems that minimise the risk of problems arising.

For free business advice or staff training covering all aspects of the legislation enforced by Trading Standards please contact Perth and Kinross Council's Trading Standards Service on 01738-476476 or email amnicoll@pkc.gov.uk