A place for regulatory compliance information for the ICT industry in Australia.
See the link from Standards Australia below.
Standard: AS/NZS 62368-1 Audio/video, information and communication technology equipment – Part 1: Safety requirements
Comment Start Date: 20/10/2021
Comment End Date: 22/12/2021
You can view the draft with latest comments and provide your feedback here:
https://comment.standards.org.au/Drafts/929ff081-ef78-43e4-a79e-a569d40b8dac
See the article at: https://www.mondaq.com/australia/consumer-law/1101994/australian-consumer-law-update-mid-year-update?email_access=on
No changes to product liability or safety have been included.
“Apple has determined that, in very rare cases, the two prong Apple AC wall plug adapters designed for use in Continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Argentina and Brazil may break and create a risk of electrical shock if touched. These wall plug adapters shipped from 2003 to 2015 with Mac and certain iOS devices, and were also included in the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit.”
“This recall covers the two prong plug portion of the Apple AC power supply (wall plug adapters) designed for use in Continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, South Korea and Brazil.”
“Apple’s website advises that in very rare cases, the two prong wall plugs designed for continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Argentina and Brazil can break and create a shock hazard. So the company will exchange the part at no charge. “
A new Battery Assurance Program developed by the Clean Energy Council provides consumers with independent information on the safety of home battery products…
The new program confirms which home battery products have been tested against the industry’s best practice guidelines… Products that qualify for the Battery Assurance Program … have been independently tested to confirm they are up to the necessary electrical safety and quality standards.
Source: Clean Energy Council launches home battery program – Electrical connection
The RCM is now mandatory for electrical safety in Australia and New Zealand On March 1, 2013, Australia’s Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) commenced the transition to replace the C-tick and A-tick …
The single Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) was introduced on 1 March 2013 with a three-year transition period to 29 February 2016.
The RCM illustrates a product’s compliance with all applicable ACMA standards—telecommunications, radiocommunications, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electromagnetic energy (EME).
Suppliers must register on the online national database and start using the RCM by 1 March 2016.
Products that have already been labelled with the C-Tick or A-Tick can continue to be supplied until labelled stock has been exhausted.
Source: Single compliance mark—end of transition period approaching!
Some models of (imported) LED light globes cause interference to TV signals. This interference may consist of a sudden loss of signal or picture quality in a residence or neighbouring house. In these cases, the ACMA needs to be able to quickly contact the supplier of the globes to notify them of the problem. People experiencing TV reception problems may also wish to contact the supplier to arrange an exchange or refund.
The consequences of supplying a device that does not comply with Australian law can be serious and may risk your business’s reputation. Taking some simple steps before making a bulk purchase of LED globes (or any electronic device) directly from overseas will help prevent interference.
Sourcing safe products is a responsibility that all suppliers must meet. This webinar is aimed at businesses that supply products within the Australian marketplace and want more information on their responsibilities when sourcing products for their consumers.
The ACCC has published guidance on safe concentrations of particular chemicals in consumer goods. The guidance prescribes concentrations of chemicals, below which a safety concern does not exist. It includes a list of 22 hazardous aromatic amines which can be derived from certain hazardous azo dyes in clothing, textiles and leather articles. Guidance is also provided for safe concentrations of formaldehyde in clothing and textiles.
via Safety guidance on concentrations of particular chemicals in certain consumer goods.
21st October 2014
She bought the knock-off charger for $10 from Paddy’s Markets as a gift for her son Daniel on his 14th birthday last Sunday but, by Monday evening, the device was a blackened wreck.
Ms Sommerville, from Kanahooka near Wollongong, said she heard a loud bang – ‘‘like metal hitting metal’’ – and saw a flash of light coming from Daniel’s room.
‘‘Daniel came out of his bedroom with a stunned look on his face. He said, ‘the charger’,’’ Ms Sommerville said.
‘‘The whole house smelt like gun powder. I was shocked.’’
The explosion caused the electricity supply to short circuit in three bedrooms, and at one of the loungeroom power points.
‘‘Who knows what would have happened if we didn’t have a circuit breaker,’’ Ms Sommerville said.
‘‘After hearing about the other woman that got killed by it, we’re really thinking how seriously lucky Daniel is.’’
Extract from the news article below:
If you sell products Australian customers, including the sale of products online, you must meet product safety requirements under Australian Consumer Law. If you’re a supplier or manufacturer, you are legally obligated to comply with mandatory Australian safety standards and only market safe products. Mandatory standards are law, and there are penalties and consequences for selling products that do not comply.
Authorities are warning consumers against buying rip-off USB-style chargers after a young woman wearing headphones and holding her laptop was found dead with burns on her ears and chest, in an apparent electrocution.
The woman’s death is under investigation by police, and Fair Trading was unable to release any further details….
she was found with a lap top and headphones in her ears.”[She had] burns on both ears and her chest,”…
the rip-off, cheap chargers were low quality plastic that could melt.
The devices found by Fair Trading had no insulation on (mains) pins or approval marks.
Consumers who have already bought unapproved and non-compliant USB-style chargers, used to charge phones and tablets, are advised to bend the pins on the chargers and throw them away immediately.
People should also not use any electrical devices while they are plugged in and charging.
via Warning over USB chargers after woman dies from apparent electrocution.
This bulletin covers the mandatory product safety standard for baby bath aids and the need to properly label these products.
In Australia, between 1997 and 2005, six infants under 13 months drowned while in a baby bath aid.
According to the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia, children under two years of age are most vulnerable to drowning or near drowning in the bath. The incidents almost always occur when the competent adult supervising the child leaves the child unattended—even if it is for less than a minute. Children can drown within seconds in very little water.
The mandatory standard aims to protect children from the possibility of drowning by providing a permanent warning alerting the parent or caregiver that a baby should never be left alone in the bath or left in the care of another child.
Baby bath aids – Product safety bulletin.
Extracts from an email and notice received from the ERAC Secretariat, dated 28 February 2014, republished with permission:
- If a Responsible Supplier has taken all reasonable actions for registration they will be considered as having met the requirements for registration as far as can be expected (This is due to some Certificates not yet being available on the national database).
See the PDF document in the link below for all the details and the fine print…
1 march 2014 EESS transitional final
It is understood that these transitional arrangements will be periodically reviewed. Further details should be placed on the official EESS web site later this week.
DISCLAIMER: As usual, this information is provided in good faith and is subject to interpretation and individual circumstances. No liability of any kind will be accepted arising from the provision or application of this information. Suppliers are expected to make their own independent legal and professional enquiries regarding their own business arrangements.
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