Safety of items offered

This page is about the safety of items offered. For personal safety, see Sample Admin: Keep safe.

If an item isn't illegal, it's OK to offer or request it on Freegle. But some items need care if members intend to use them for their original purpose, rather than upcycling or repurposing them. It's up to each community to decide whether to disallow certain items on safety grounds, or leave that decision to members.

Freegle's disclaimer is clear about where responsibility lies, for both Freegle and members.

If a post is in pending, you could add a mod edit pointing out the risks of using an item. Some warnings are built into the system - see a February 2025 discussion on this.

Here's some information about specific items.

Fire labels

Furniture and upholstered items used indoors: see page 4 of this government advice on fire safety:

"In the Department's view, the simple distribution of second-hand furniture by a charity in pursuance of its charitable objectives to needy persons, either free of charge or at a nominal amount only, would be unlikely to constitute a supply in the course of business. On the other hand, shops selling furniture to raise funds for charitable purposes would constitute a business activity and the Regulations will apply to the furniture sold in this case. Individual charities should take legal advice."

This guidance suggests Freegle is OK to facilitate gifting upholstered items that might contain POPs (persistent organic pollutants), because the transaction between members is for 'non-waste products'.

Edward researched this in January 2024. The conclusion was that these are OK:

• individuals freegling without fire labels
• councils and other agencies freegling through our website without fire labels

But it wouldn't be OK if Freegle, or someone working on Freegle's behalf, was being paid to dispose of things without fire labels - that would then be covered by the business regulations.

FIRA is a credible industry source. The conclusion above draws on their advice to consumers:

"Q4. Can I donate furniture to charity without permanent flammability labels? - It's illegal for charity shops to sell furniture without permanent flammability labels, as such they will not accept donations without correct labelling.

Q5. Can I sell my old furniture without permanent flammability labels? - Yes, as an individual you can sell your old furniture privately on eBay etc. without flammability labels."

This matches typical freegling - we're in the same position as eBay. It's reasonable to assume that if this applies to sales by private individuals, it also applies to gifts by private individuals.

FIRA's guide for businesses indicates the regulations wouldn't apply to a business (or council) giving items away. Setting the law aside, there's obviously a reputational risk if a council donated an item that was later involved in a fire.

But these regulations probably do apply to Freegle, or a Freegle representative, if we were being paid to do this - that would put it in the course of business or trade.

Cot mattresses

The Lullaby Trust recommends buying a new cot mattress, or - if using a second-hand one - carefully checking that it's clean, dry and free from cracks or tears. A cot mattress should be firm, with no sagging, and fit the cot snugly with no gaps.

Helmets for motorcycles or bicycles

See this and this for motorcycle helmets, and this for bicycles.

Car seats and restraints

See this and this Which? article. Government legal requirements can be found here regarding the age/height of children needing to use a car seat. It isn't illegal to offer or reuse car seats or booster seats.

Some advice for members, based on the Which? article:

• If you must buy or use a second-hand car seat, make sure it's from a close family member or friend who you can rely on to be truthful about its history.
• Examine the car seat carefully for damage (though not all damage is visible), check it's suitable for your child's weight or height, and try it in your car and any others you'll use it in - including grandparents' cars - to make sure it fits securely.
• All car seats must meet the R44.04 or R129 regulations and be labelled as such. Seats labelled 44.03 are still legal to use, but this is an older labelling standard, meaning the seat was made with less modern materials.
• If you have any doubts about the car seat's history, don't buy or use it. Better safe than sorry.

The latest Discourse conversation about this was here. The main points for users of second hand seats were:

• Hidden crash damage: seats are supposed to replaced after a crash, but if the source doesn’t know this and doesn’t say, invisible hairline fractures could be present within the plastic which won’t protect a child a second time round.
• Plastic degrades over time naturally and apparently most car seats expire from 6 to 10 years and could have their labels missing which tells the user when the expiry date is. Seats should have a manufacturer’s stamp that states when they were made.
• It’s incredibly difficult to track if a used seat has been recalled for a safety defect, or if the previous owner washed the harness straps incorrectly (i.e. by submerging straps in water or using harsh chemicals can actually weaken the webbing fabric).

Used car tyres

There are similar safety issues to car seats with using second-hand tyres for their original purpose. The sale of second-hand tyres is regulated, and they must be tested to ensure they remain safe. However, they can be freegled for other uses, e.g. as garden planters.

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