3D PRINTING AND CONSUMER
PRODUCT SAFETY
Recommendations for Action

Source
The White Paper: ‘3D Printing and Consumer Product Safety’ was
published in January 2015
The white paper was written by Gail Greatorex, a Melbourne, Australia based
product safety consultant. It explores the new world of consumer level 3D
printing and the ways it can impact the safety of consumer goods.
The following slides list the white paper’s recommendations which call
on the 3D print community, business, industry, educators and
governments to explore ways of ensuring safe products in this new
consumer market

Recommendation 1
The product safety community will need to
ensure accessible resources are available for
designers and producers

Recommendation 2
ISO’s consumer policy committee (COPOLCO) has a
product safety working group. COPOLCO should seek to
include safety of raw materials, 3D printer use and product
outputs within ISO/TC 261’s scope or propose a separate
project

Recommendation 3
The 3D printing design community will need to
take the initiative in ensuring consumer safety is
integral to product design

Recommendation 4
The 3D printing design community should
establish forums for conferring and collaborating
with one another and other product practitioners
on safe design

Recommendation 5
Designers should be a primary target for safety
education

Recommendation 6
Academic, private and government organisations will
need to develop and adapt product safety education and
guidance materials suitable for 3D print designers and
producers

Recommendation 7
As children learn 3D printing, schools should take
the opportunity to teach safety in product design

Recommendation 8 a-b
The 3D printing industry (and its supporting
organisations) should:
a) make consumer product safety a priority for its growing
market
b) draw on ISO Standard 10377 Consumer product safety
– Guidelines for suppliers to inform its product safety
strategies

Recommendation 8 c-d
The 3D printing industry (and its supporting
organisations) should:
c) engage with the product safety community, through
organisations such as the International Consumer Product
Health and Safety Organisation
d) support and educate its customers in product safety –
including prosumers, new product supply businesses and
3D print shops

Recommendation 8 e-g
The 3D printing industry (and its supporting
organisations) should:
e) monitor product developments for product safety
f) work with product design developers and design schools
to support safe design
g) monitor the safety of feedstock/filament available for use
in consumer product 3D printers and actively manage
associated risks

Recommendation 9 a-b
Government agencies will need to:
a) develop ways to monitor the uptake of 3D printing by
consumers and small business
b) advocate/regulate standards for safety of feedstock

Recommendation 9 c-e
Government agencies will need to:
c) promote inclusion of design safety into schools and other
academic programs
d) monitor, assess and test for safety of 3D printed
products in the marketplace
e) consider the need to amend existing laws to address the
sale of unsafe product designs

White paper
The white paper is available free on the Product Safety Solutions
website, along with a range of other materials on 3D printing . . .
productsafetysolutions.com.au

You’re invited to share . . .
Please share this slideshow, and any of our other
resources on 3D printing and consumer product safety
Thanks
Gail Greatorex
Director, Product Safety Solutions
Melbourne, Australia