15
For all the latest energy safety news visit www.esv.vic.gov.au
Non-compliant
electrical
constructions
recalled
By Naveen Kapoor, Compliance Officer
ESV is warning consumers about electrical
safety hazards associated with two products.
The products are plastic body portable room
heaters imported by GAF Control Australia
Pty Ltd (pictured above) and portable garden
blowers, model OZBL1800WA, supplied by
Ozito Australia Pty Ltd. Both suppliers have
had the products recalled.
ESV strongly advises suppliers of electrical
goods to establish quality control procedures
and seek expert assistance to check and advise
whether the goods imported are the same as
approved.
If a supplier does not have firm control over
the processes and supplies, they are vulnerable
to potential breaches of the Electricity Safety Act
1998 including a costly process of recalling the
faulty or unsafe product.
Portable heaters affected by the recall
GAF Control supplied the faulty heaters
through various Australian retailers from
1 April 2012. The specific heaters are marked
with the approval number SAA120201EA and
approximately 130,000 heaters are being recalled.
The potential hazards associated include risk
of fire and burns. To date, no injuries have
been reported.
Some of the major non-compliances identified
include failure to comply with the flammability
requirements of the Australian standard, and
changes in the internal wiring that can contact
moving or oscillating parts of the heater.
Complaints from consumers prompted the
supplier and its distributor to retest the heaters.
It is believed that changes to the plastic materials
and construction of the heaters mean they no
longer comply with AS/NZS 60335.2.30.
Customers who purchased the identified
heaters are advised to immediately stop using
them and contact their point of purchase or GAF
Control Australia Pty Ltd for further assistance
in relation to this recall.
Garden blowers affected by the recall
Ozito Australia Pty Ltd is recalling more than
100,000 units of its portable garden blower, model
OZBL1800WA. The supplier is currently aware of a
number of minor injuries arising from the failure of
the equipment.
The supplier has identified changes in the
composition of the impeller material. These
changes may cause the impeller to fail during
its operation, and cause damage to the blower
housing. The associated risks include access
to live parts and injury from sharp or damaged
fragments of the impeller and plastic housing.
The faulty products were sold by Bunnings
in Australia and New Zealand between 2009
and 2012. For more information on this recall,
click here.
Autumn 2015
energysafe issue 38
Infinity cable:
ACCC says
act now
The ACCC has issued another reminder
that homes or buildings containing
Infinity cable must be checked by
an electrician.
As of 26 March, only 179 premises
nationwide had been rectified and only
five per cent of the supplied cable had
been remediated.
Last year a recall was announced
of all sizes and configurations of TPS
and Orange Round mains power cables
sourced from Infinity Cable Co Pty Ltd
and supplied under the Infinity and Olsent
brand names.
The products fail to meet electrical
safety standards due to poor quality
plastic insulation coating that degrades
prematurely, causing a risk of electric
shock, electrocution and fire.
Infinity cable was supplied in Victoria
between 2012 and 2013 through Masters
Home Improvement, John Danks & Son
(trading as Home Timber & Hardware,
Plants Plus and Thrifty-Link Hardware)
Mitre 10, Go Electrical and six smaller
retailers:
»» ABC Arian Electrical Suppliers
»» Norcab Electrical Wholesale
»» Titan Trading
»» All 4 Tradies Pty Ltd
»» Wholesale Electrical Supplies Pty Ltd
»» Phoenix Wholesalers
Suppliers recalling the cable are
required to meet the cost of rectification
works under the recall and electricians
who used this product should contact
their supplier before commencing removal.
Any unused product should be returned
to the supplier.
Information about recalls
F
or
go to www.recalls.gov.au
Do not mix and match switchboard components
Cubic-Modulsystem A/S has written to
switchboard manufacturers and ESV to advise
that Cubic/e brand busbar systems cannot be
used in non-Cubic switchboard assemblies.
This is a timely reminder that in order to
ensure any switchboard assembly complies with
the requirements of the standard, only type tested
and compatible components can be used.
In the last two years there have been five
serious incidents involving switchboards.
Many have failed because they were not
assembled as designed and—in some cases—
did not comply with the requirements of AS/NZS
3439—series Switchboards, AS/NZS 60529—
Degrees of Protection and AS/NZS 60947
Series—Low Voltage switchgear.
The Electricity Safety Act 1998 requires that a
person must not supply or offer to supply electrical
equipment unless the equipment complies
with the minimum standards prescribed for
the equipment.
This means that any switchboard assembled
from components, either on site or in the factory,
must comply with the standard.
Ask your supplier for compliance documents
for the completed unit. Do not assume tested
components when combined will comply.