Our aim is to provide a fair and safe trading environment for the consumers and businesses of Dorset, through education, advice, enforcement, and by working together with our partners.

For a summary of our priorities and plan for 2010/2011 read our

Trading Standards Service Plan Summary 2010-11 [25kb] (opens in a new window)

• Animal health and welfare

  We help promote and maintain standards of animal health and welfare. We are responsible for enforcing over 150 acts, orders and regulations.

• Consumer advice and information

  For expert advice and guidance and to find a tradesman you can trust.

• Fair trading

  We are responsible for a wide range of consumer protection legislation which helps to ensure fair trading.

• Food hygiene and safety

  We have a responsibility for safety at work enforcement in the hotel and leisure industries, restaurants, office-based industries, residential care, retail and wholesale distribution industries. We also enforce food safety legislation in all businesses providing food for sale for human consumption.

• Food labelling and composition

  Our health is affected by the food we eat. There are legal controls on the quality and ingredients of food, and legal requirements to provide detailed labelling on most food.

• Licences and street trading

  Find links to information on licenses and street trading.

• Face painting

  Face painting is popular with young children particularly at carnivals, fetes and birthday parties, and most of the time people do this without a problem, but not always. Here are some pointers to avoid your child getting a rash, swollen eyelids or other avoidable problems.

• Petroleum

  We generally need to issue a licence when petroleum products are dispensed through a petrol pump into a vehicle or stored on domestic premises. The annual licence fee depends on the amount stored.

• Trader schemes

  We are involved with schemes which promote good practice and help fair trading.

• Trading standards - advice to business

  We can give expert advice and guidance to Dorset businesses on a wide range of trading standards matters. Contact us for help on our business advice line 01305 (or 01202) 224702.

• Trading standards - education and information

  We provide information to help educate consumers and businesses about their rights, so that there are fewer misunderstandings. We can provide talks, displays and leaflets, and we regularly attend community events.

• Trading standards - product safety

  We are responsible for enforcing safety regulations covering many different areas such as toys, bicycles, cosmetics, crash helmets, plugs and sockets, bunk beds and electrical goods.

• Trading standards - under age sales

  We have a responsibility to enforce the laws which cover the sale of certain goods to people who are too young to buy them.

• Trading standards - weights and measures

  We estimate that every week in the UK over a billion pounds of goods are weighed and measured at retail level alone. Our officers are responsible for ensuring that these measurements are correct. Spot checks on businesses are carried out. These spot checks reassure both consumers and honest traders of a fair market place.

• Name: Receptionist
  Email: tradingstandards@dorsetcc.gov.uk
  Tel: 01305 (01202) 224012
  Fax: 01305 (01202) 224297
  Full details for Receptionist