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Ensuring that the policy is communicated 
to staff (eg memoranda, newsletters). 
(c) 
Setting priorities for operations
. 
(d) 
Involving staff in the health and safety process. 
 
6
Consumer protection 
We will now look at those aspects of law and regulation which apply to consumer protection, including 
contract law and the sale of goods
. All countries have their own legislation dealing with these topics. 
These are the general principles. 
6.1 What is a contract? 
A contract is a legally binding agreement.
A contract is a legally binding agreement. In all areas of life we make contracts. If you buy or sell a house, 
a contract is made and 'exchanged'. When you start a job, you will probably have a contract of 
employment. When you go into a shop and buy something, you have entered into an agreement with the 
shopkeeper – you agree that the shopkeeper will give you the goods and you will give them the money. 
Under contract law, the money that you give in exchange for the goods is referred to as the 
'
consideration
'. For a contract to take place, there must be 
agreement
between the parties. This requires 
an 
offer
made by one party, 
acceptance
by the other party and, in England and Wales (but not 
Scotland), some 
consideration
passing between them.
An important point about contracts is that they do not have to be written. They do not even have to be 
spoken. A customer picking up something in a supermarket and walking to the checkout is making an 
offer to the shop, and that offer is 
implied 
by their behaviour. 
Any business buying and selling goods is continually making and discharging (completing) contracts. 
Probably none of the parties involved give much thought to the legal aspect of what they are doing