The Approved Cables Initiative (ACI) is reporting more trouble in the Australian electrical supply chain as a new product recall has resulted in the collapse of another cable importer.
The collapse of Ecables Pty may leave contractors and building owners having to fund the removal of dangerous cabling products themselves. So concerned is Master Electricians Australia (the country’s equivalent to the Electrical Contractors’ Association) that it is calling for urgent reform of electrical product safety certification.
Ecables Pty was placed into liquidation after Energy Safe Victoria ordered a full recall of its ECABLES brand Copper Clad Aluminium RE 110 insulated power cables. Independent testing found the cables failed to meet the required standard and that insulation melted at less than half the temperature they were rated to withstand.
Master Electricians Australia state manager for Victoria, Simon Tengende said: “The faulty cables presented a serious risk of fire or electrical shock. The company’s collapse was bad news for building owners and electrical contractors who installed the cable and may now be required to remove it. It also creates great uncertainty as to how the cost of the removal and replacement of dangerous cable will be funded.
“This underlines the importance of choosing reputable tradespeople and insisting on quality products. We encourage our members to carry insurance to cover the cost of recalls and urge them only to source products from reputable manufacturers and suppliers who have the financial strength to meet the cost of product recalls,” he continued.
This latest incident follows a national recall of Infinity and Olsent brand electrical cables last year and highlights a potential problem with the certification process in Australia which allows importers or manufacturers to self-assess their compliance with standards.
A spokesperson for the ACI said: “This is an issue that we are following very closely in the UK. Earlier this month we questioned UK distributors and importers awareness of their responsibilities under the revised Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU). The recently recast Directive highlights clear responsibilities and we want to make sure that those in the cable supply chain are fully aware of what they need to be doing to ensure compliance.
“It’s also important for UK contractors to be more watchful in their purchasing decisions and to consider the peace of mind only buying third party approved cable provides.
“We believe by urging its members to only purchase from reputable manufacturers, the Master Electricians Australia may be able at avert a further cable recall. These are valuable messages for UK contractors to take note of,” continued the ACI.
Following last year’s recall of Infinity and Olsent-branded electrical cable, a regulatory task force established by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the UK’s Office of Fair Trading equivalent in Australia, estimated the average cost of fully rewiring affected households could be $4000, taking the total clean-up bill to as much as $160m (£88m).
