OPSS rejects Y Kall mini chainsaw at border over guard and plug failures

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has rejected an imported Y Kall Mini Electric Chainsaw at the UK border after finding its guard did not stop the cutting chain on contact and its plug was non-compliant.

The regulator published a product safety report on the tool on 8 October 2026, classing it as a serious risk in the machinery category. The notification is recorded on the Product Safety Database under number 2607-0053, with OPSS itself as the notifier.

According to the report, the guard does not automatically stop the cutting chain when it comes into contact with an object. OPSS said this could expose users to the moving chain and increase the risk of cuts and lacerations.

The regulator also found the chainsaw was fitted with a non-compliant plug, which it said could expose users to live parts and result in an electric shock.

The product

OPSS described the item as a small hand-held electric chainsaw with a 6 inch saw and battery packs, carrying the name Y Kall on both the box and the body of the tool. The country of origin is listed as China.

The report said the product does not meet the requirements of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 or the Plugs and Sockets etc (Safety) Regulations 1994. The 2008 machinery regulations, statutory instrument 2008 No. 1597, were made on 19 June 2008 and came into force on 29 December 2009, according to legislation.gov.uk.

The corrective action recorded is that the import has been rejected at the border. No recall has been issued.

Reports and recalls

OPSS sets out the difference between product safety reports and product recalls. Product safety reports cover specific products found in the UK where corrective measures other than a recall apply, while product recalls are for specific products that have been sold in the UK. When an unsafe product is found, OPSS says it must be notified on the Product Safety Database.

OPSS is the UK's national product regulator and sits within the Department for Business and Trade. Created in January 2018, it regulates most consumer goods other than food, medicines and vehicles.

At the border, the regulator's stated objective is to detect, deter and disrupt the import of unsafe products. It works with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to target and select higher-risk products for checks.

Border rejections in the data

The Y Kall report follows a year in which border rejection was the most common outcome recorded on the Product Safety Database. OPSS's report for 2025 to 2026 shows the database received 2,396 notifications between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.

Import rejection at the border accounted for 1,102 corrective actions, or 28% of the total, making it the single most common measure. Electrical appliances and equipment was the third most common product category notified, with 545 products, or 16%.

Earlier mini chainsaw reports

OPSS has published safety reports on other mini chainsaws stopped at the border, although these are not linked to the Y Kall product.

In April 2024 the regulator reported a SundpeyPRO mini chainsaw sold via Amazon whose upper protective guard did not cover the full length of the chain. That import was rejected at the border and destroyed, and Amazon removed the listing. In the same report, OPSS said chainsaws must be fitted with at least two handles to provide safe control.

In June 2025 OPSS reported a Power 12 inch mini battery electric chainsaw presenting a serious risk of electric shock due to poor quality internal soldering. That import was also rejected at the border and destroyed.

The safety lesson

For contractors and site managers buying small powered cutting tools, the regulator's findings set out two checks. The guard on a chainsaw must automatically stop the cutting chain when it comes into contact with an object, as required under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. The plug must comply with the Plugs and Sockets etc (Safety) Regulations 1994 so that users are not exposed to live parts.

The Y Kall report, with its product image and PDF, is published on GOV.UK under notification 2607-0053.