Supermarket giant Woolworths has been ordered to pay more than $3 million in fines after the consumer watchdog took it to court over concerns about the safety of a number of products including a deep-fryer and drain cleaner.

Key points: ACCC said Woolworths made false claims about product safety

ACCC said Woolworths made false claims about product safety Customers injured by products including drain cleaner and stool

Customers injured by products including drain cleaner and stool Consumer group Choice slams company after ruling, says it should "wake up"

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took action against Woolworths in the Federal Court alleging it made false or misleading representations about the safety of a number of products sold under the company's Homebrand and Masters labels.

On Friday, the court ordered Woolworths to pay $3,057,000.

The ACCC alleged the company made false or misleading representations about the safety of three Woolworths Homebrand products: Abode 3L Stainless Steel Deep-Fryer, Woolworths Select Drain Cleaner and Homebrand Safety Matches.

Court documents alleged one customer suffered a nose bleed and burns when she dropped a bottle of Select Drain Cleaner and it splashed on her.

At least three other customers were also burned by the drain cleaner, including a baby who needed surgery.

The court found that by selling the fryer in June and July 2012 and then refraining from withdrawing it for sale from its Big W Stores, Woolworths engaged in conduct that was "misleading or deceptive, or likely to mislead or deceive".

It found that Woolworths had knowledge that the handles of the fryer may detach and spill oil, and did so on at least once occasion.

The court also found that between August 2013 and 2014, by selling drain cleaner with printed instructions implying it had a functioning child-proof cap, Woolworths again engaged in behaviour which was "misleading and deceptive, or likely to mislead or deceive".

In reality the caps were "ineffective" and did not lock securely, the court found.

The ACCC said there were "misleading representations" made about the weight capacity of its Home Collection Padded Flop Chair and the Masters Homes Improvement Folding Stepping Stool; neither of which, the ACCC alleged, could withstand the maximum weight claimed on their packaging.

It said one customer fractured a vertebra after a stool collapsed, alleging she weighed 25 kilograms lighter than the claimed maximum weight.

The court agreed with the ACCC's characterisation.

The court found that this Woolworths Select brand drain cleaner had a cap which was ineffective and did not lock securely. ( Supplied )

After the ruling, the ACCC's deputy chair, Delia Rickard, told the ABC she hoped that retailers, particularly those that source products from overseas, would take note of the judgment.

"We hope this will send a strong message to retailers," Ms Rickard said.

She added that the ACCC had been particularly concerned at Woolworths receiving news of serious injuries but not reporting those claims, and continuing to sell the products involved.

She said the ACCC had seen many incidents of Homebrand product recalls recently.

"If you're going to source your goods from overseas, self-source for Homebrand products, then you need to take responsibility for the safety of the goods you're selling to Australian consumers."

We take safety seriously: Woolworths

All of the products were subsequently recalled by Woolworths.

In a statement, Woolworths said it took safety "very seriously".

"We acknowledge the failures in our quality processes that occurred some time ago and sincerely apologise to our customers," the company said.

"As acknowledged by the ACCC, Woolworths cooperated and took significant steps to address these failures.

"The issues were raised at the highest levels within the company and we have invested more than $20 million on an entirely new product lifecycle management system, implemented over two years, to ensure our products are the quality our customers expect."

'Woolies needs to wake up to itself', Choice says

Tom Godfrey from consumer group Choice told the ABC that the $3 million fine was a "drop in the ocean" for the company, which posted a net full-year profit of $2.15 billion in August.

"Even though it won't be the biggest problem for Woolies to pay this fine, it does send them a very clear message that they need to take their product safety obligations very seriously," he said.

"The judge took a very hardline with them here because the private label brands are very profitable ... they need to take their product safety very seriously, and they haven't done that."

Mr Godfrey said Woolworths had "obviously" been breaching Australian consumer law.

"Woolies needs to wake up to itself," he said.

"The drain cleaner particularly: 124,000 people exposed, an 11-month-old baby had a hole burnt in their leg, one of their employees was also injured as a result of this product failure."

"When is the penny going to drop that they need to up their game?"