Recalls and safety alerts backgrounder

What the different types of notices mean

What's the difference between a safety alert and an advisory? When -- and why -- are recalls issued? Learn about how the Government of Canada communicates risks to Canadians .

Risk communications from Health Canada

Health Canada issues a number of risk communication documents for marketed health products, food, pesticides and consumer products:

• Health Canada Public Advisory
  Public Advisories give information about situations in which the use of, or exposure to, a product may pose a health risk. Advisories are issued for both authorized and unauthorized products.
  
  
• Health Canada Information Update
  Information Updates are used when the nature of the communication is less urgent than for an Advisory. It can provide additional information about a previously issued Advisory, or seasonal safety reminders related to health products, food, pesticides or consumer products.
  
  
• Health Canada Foreign Product Alert
  These web-based alerts for the public provide general warnings about health products originating in other countries that have been found by other regulators to pose a risk to health. Even though these products are not approved for sale in Canada and have not been found on the Canadian market, Canadians may still be exposed to them while travelling or through online purchasing.
  
  
• It's Your Health Bulletin
  Produced for the public jointly by Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, It's Your Health bulletins are article-style fact sheets advising Canadians about the benefits and risks of products, procedures and substances, and informing them of how to minimize their risk in relation to diseases and conditions.

Health Canada also shares a number of risk communications that come from industry:

• Health Product Recall Notice
  These notify health professionals when a product has been recalled by the manufacturer and include an explanation of why the recall has occurred.
  
  
• Industry-Issued Public Communication
  Intended for the general public, these communicate new health safety information to the public regarding marketed health products.

Drug and health products safety alerts

The following types of safety alerts are published by Health Canada for health products:

• Health Canada Public Advisory
• Health Canada Foreign Product Alert
• Health Canada Information Update
• Health Product Recall Notice
• Industry Issued Public Communication

Consumer product recalls and safety alerts

Consumer product recalls are not assigned different levels of urgency. If a product is recalled, it is always considered a danger to human health or safety. This means it could cause injury, death or adverse health effects (temporary or chronic) as a result of its normal or possible use.

The types of consumer product safety alerts published by Health Canada include:

• Consumer Product Recall
• Health Canada Public Advisory
• Health Canada Information Update

Food recalls and safety alerts

The types of food safety alerts published by Health Canada include:

• Health Canada Public Advisory
• Health Canada Information Update
• It's Your Health Bulletin

Travel reports and warnings

Travel reports -- along with other official information and advice from the Government of Canada -- help you stay informed about situations that might affect your health and safety if you're going out of the country.

Every travel report contains a graph indicating a country's overall level of security risk. There may be multiple graphs if there are different risk levels for different regions. The four levels of advice are:

• Exercise normal security precautions
  No significant security concerns.
  
  
• Exercise a high degree of caution
  Identifiable security concerns: be alert and vigilant to your surroundings.
  
  
• Avoid non-essential travel
  Specific security concerns: reconsider your need to travel at this time. (This level is accompanied by a travel warning.)
  
  
• Avoid all travel
  Extreme risk to personal safety: you should not travel at this time. (This level is accompanied by a travel warning.)

Travel warnings are included in travel reports when there is civil unrest, war, rebellion, natural disaster, political instability, a health emergency or the threat of terrorism.

Vehicle and child restraint recalls and notices

When there seems to be an issue with a make of vehicle or child restraint, Transport Canada's Defect Investigations Group conducts an evaluation. Safety-related defects are usually common to a group of vehicles, tires or child restraints that are made according to one design or by one manufacturer. If a defect exists, it could affect the safety of road users without warning. In those situations, the investigation may lead to a safety recall or the publication of a safety advisory.

Transport Canada issues consumer information notices when there is a general problem with a child restraint that is not caused by a defect or by non-compliance with regulations.