Electrical retailers fined for non-compliant appliances

Two retailers in Perth’s southern suburbs have received fines of $5000 each from the state’s energy regulator after inspectors found most of the electrical appliances on sale lacked the required safety certification.

“Unapproved electrical appliances and equipment can pose serious risks, such as electric shock and fire,” said WA’s Director of Energy Safety, Saj Abdoolakhan.

“It is illegal in WA to sell household electrical appliances that are not approved by an Australian regulatory authority. This includes items with international plug tops because of different safety and voltage requirements across the world.”

The unapproved products included a samovar (metal water heater) with a Turkish plug top, as shown by Building and Energy senior electrical inspectors Kris Green (left) and Jim Armstrong.

The illegal products included samovars (metal water heaters), rice cookers and portable ovens with overseas plugs and uninsulated pins.

In addition to the fines, the retailers were ordered to stop selling the non-compliant appliances and urged to contact past customers to recall sold items.

Building and Energy is calling on sellers and shoppers to always check for a symbol of a tick inside a triangle — this is the regulatory compliance mark (RCM) that shows the electrical product meets Australian standards and has been independently approved for use. The item’s model number can also be searched for via the Electrical Equipment Safety System website (eess.gov.au) to verify certification.

The energy regulator has published a fact sheet on selling, hiring or advertising electrical appliances and equipment.

“It is crucial that consumers, sellers and importers all play their part in preventing unsafe electrical equipment from entering the Australian market,” Abdoolakhan said.

Top image caption: The unapproved Turkish plug top that came with the samovar product.