Meeting Australian electrical safety standards

Within the electrical industry there is increasing concern regarding the number of electrical products being sold that don’t comply with Australian Standards. These products, whilst appearing genuine, are often made from inferior materials with little regard for meeting stated ratings or safety requirements. Compliance with Australian Electrical Safety Standards is important to ensure product quality, reliability and, most critically, the safety of the electrical contractor during installation and their customer throughout the operational life of the product.

Why is product compliance to Australian Electrical Safety Standards so important?

- To prevent unsafe (substandard) non-compliant electrical equipment being sold in the Australian electrical equipment market.

- To reduce the risk of problem installations and ensure the safety of electrical workers and the general public.

- To create an even market, restricting the opportunities for non-compliant product suppliers.

There are two forms of standards in the Australian market at present, those that require a mandatory Certificate of Approval and those that need a Certificate of Suitability.

Certificate of Approval

A product requiring a Certificate of Approval is one that has legal connotations and is for high risk products. The product is gazetted by each state regulator and references the product standard applicable. There are 60 electrical products referenced out of a total of 2,400 common electrical products at this level. These 60 high risk products include switches, socket-outlets, Residual Current Devices (RCDs), power supply, plugs, Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs), portable luminaires, fluorescent lamp starter and ballast, lampholders, cord extension sockets and appliance connectors.

Certificate of Suitability

A product requiring a Certificate of Suitability does carry some legal implication and is for medium or low risk products.The product must be designed and tested to the relevant standard. Responsible manufacturers should be committed to obtaining a Certificate of Suitability for all products manufactured. These may be medium or low level risk and includes all other products not included in the gazetted products that are subject to a Certificate of Approval (approximately 7000 standards). They do not require any supporting documentation from the state regulator and are expected to be designed and manufactured to the minimum safety requirements for that product range.

Implementing new electrical safety regulations planned for 2012

The Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC) is developing new regulations following the Electrical Equipment Safety System Review. These will be reviewed by each State Government for implementation. The new regulations will keep electrical product suppliers more tightly controlled. It will become illegal to supply electrical products without prior registration in the new scheme. If approvals do not exist, the regulator will take action against the product supplier. When the new scheme is introduced, it will be easier for regulators to monitor the electrical goods market.

What are the risks of buying products that don’t comply to Australian Electrical Safety Standards?

There are many legal risks through buying and installing non-compliant products, including: severe financial penalties; potential criminal charges; possible loss of electrical license; invalidation of insurance cover where products malfunction. Significantly there are other commercial risks associated with non-compliant products that electrical contractors should be aware of: time and cost replacing faulty products; loss of reputation through the use unreliable/faulty products; the use of products that counterfeit a trademark infringes on intellectual property rights and could result in legal action for those that breach these regulations.

Clipsal by Schneider Electric is concerned about the increasing number of electrical products being sold that don’t comply with Australian Standards.

*Justin Barrett, Final Distribution Product Manager, Power, Schneider Electric. Barrett has 11 years’ experience in the energy management and electrical industry and has been employed at Schneider Electric’s Power Business for five years. He joined Schneider Electric in 2007 as a Final Distribution Manager in the Power Marketing department.