“Accessing a roof with solar panels could place electricians, emergency service personnel and home owners at risk of electrocution. Even after following the standard procedure of isolating the DC isolator at the switchboard and the PV isolator on the roof, lethal DC voltages can continue to be generated throughout the solar panels and the associated wiring.”
“A damaged solar array can create unpredictable current
paths which can make live gutters, the roof and the modules.”
“Victorian law is now consistent with an updated national framework for transporting dangerous goods by road or rail,” according to WorkSafe Victoria’s website. “The framework, which is the responsibility of the National Transport Commission (NTC), closely aligns with international standards for the safe transport and storage of dangerous goods.”
Among the most significant changes is an increase in the duration of dangerous goods licenses from three to five years, clarification of supply chain responsibilities and new definitions of terms”
via Changes to dangerous goods transport rules on the horizon | Safe to Work.
NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said a component in the Acoustimass module could fail, causing a potential fire hazard when the voltage from the wall outlet is 220 volts or higher.
via BOSE home theatre speakers recalled due to fire risk – NSW Fair Trading.
Product safety information is now available in Chinese on the Product Safety Australia website. This is the first time the ACCC has translated online product safety information.The information is an overview of product safety in Australia in simplified Chinese, and is based on the Product safety in Australia fact sheet.
via Chinese translation of product safety information now available.
ACCCProductSafety’s channel – YouTube.
This contains a 7-part video of a Webinar for product safety testing of consumer products in Australia. Of general interest.
ACCC is the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission. Their general Product Safety page is at: http://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/970225
Answer
You should always check with your supplier that the product complies and that it has been assessed against local requirements. Ask the supplier to provide copies of current test certificates from an accredited or recognised test house.
If you are unsure, you should arrange to have the product tested yourself, preferably using a test house accredited to test to the specific standard.
SUMMARY OF THE REASONS FOR THE PROPOSED IMPOSITION OF A PERMANENT BAN ON SMALL, HIGH POWERED MAGNETS
The products of concern are small, high powered magnets which are generally supplied as aggregated masses to adults as novelty products for use by adults to create patterns and build shapes or which can be rearranged into different sizes and shapes or as jewellery for use in or around the mouth. These products are readily accessible from internet websites and a small number of retailers.
If any person ingests more than one of these high powered magnets, the magnets can be attracted to each other across the walls of the intestine or other digestive tissue creating the risk of perforation and other serious health conditions and, in some cases, death. There have been numerous incidents involving injury and at least one fatality reported in Australia following ingestion of these products.
The magnets appear innocuous and those about 5 mm in size may be potentially mistaken for small ball bearings or cake decoration confectionery. Warnings on packaging are likely to be insufficient and/or ineffective because once the product is removed from its packaging, the magnets themselves carry no warning.
Accordingly, it appears that swallowing these magnets is a reasonably foreseeable misuse of these products which may cause injury, including the risk of blockage, perforation, blood poisoning and in some cases, death.
via Proposed ban notice: Permanent ban on small, high-powered magnets.
IBM scientists used ultra short laser pulses to monitor the evolution of thousands of electron spins that were created simultaneously in a very small spot, said Gian Salis, co-author of the Nature paper and a scientist in the Physics of Nanoscale Systems research group at IBM Research.Usually, such spins find electrons randomly rotating and quickly losing their orientation. In this study, IBM and ETH researchers found, for the first time, how to arrange the spins neatly into a regular stripe-like pattern – the so-called persistent spin helix.
via IBM claims spintronics memory breakthrough | Computerworld New Zealand.
Current methods of generating terahertz radiation involve lasers, thermionic valves and special circuits cooled near absolute zero, often in room-sized apparatuses costing thousands of dollars.
Cornell researchers with Ehsan Afshari, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, have developed a new method using the familiar and inexpensive CMOS chip technology, generating power levels high enough for some medical applications.
via Generating terahertz on silicon chips :: ElectronicsOnline.
“It is truly an interdisciplinary team effort,” Zhou says. “The co-existence of photonics with electronics on the chip level shall enable multifunctional, energy-efficient super-chips for applications in computing, communications, sensing, imaging and so on.”
via Laser that could speed computer performance :: ElectronicsOnline.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched an Android version of its Recalls Australia app to provide easily accessible information on recalled consumer goods
via ACCC launches recalls app for Android.
The app is based on data from the ACCC’s Recalls Australia website – www.recalls.gov.au – and is available from the Google Play store at no cost. The ACCC will also shortly release a mobile friendly version of the website.
You can also find out about product safety issues online via the Product Safety Australia website www.productsafety.gov.au, Twitter (@ProductSafetyAU), Facebook (ACCC Product Safety) and a dedicated ACCC Product Safety YouTube Channel.
“This joint industry-government event focused on specific steps for APEC economies to consider that will advance the alignment of requirements based on minimum energy performance standards (MEPS). Workshop participants were asked to contribute to a plan to establish a harmonized MEPS regime that includes:
The public documents for the above event can be accessed via http://aimp.apec.org/MDDB/Pages/search.aspx?setting=ListMeeting&DateRange=2012/07/01%2C2012/07/end&Name=Aligning%20Energy%20Efficiency%20Regulations%20for%20ICT%20Products%3A%20Developing%20a%20Strategic%20Approach%202012
This update has been revised on 2012-07-11 with new information. If you reviewed it before, please review it again now.
Until the official commencement of the EESS, some suppliers may wish to transition to the RCM sooner, to simplify production schedules. This is presently possible, with some limitations and conditions, under the legacy rules (excluding telecommunications products), but is not possible under the new rules until 1 March 2013. Please note the following issues related to this:
I hope this is clear. If you have any questions please let me know or leave a commen
ERAC members have confirmed that 1 July 2012 is no longer a viable date for implementation, as some States need more time to pass legislation through their respective Parliaments. ERAC has announced that the new system will commence from 01 March 2013 (excluding New South Wales). The ERAC website has been updated to reflect the new commencement date.
Also ACMA has announced that the commencement of the new ACMA labelling arrangements to replace the C-Tick and A-Tick marks with the regulatory compliance mark (RCM)
has been postponed until 01 March 2013 to align with the revised commencement date for the ERAC EESS. Existing suppliers will have 3 years to register on the new database, and all devices labelled from 1 March 2016 will be required to bear the RCM. A device that has been labelled with the A-Tick or C-Tick prior to 1 March 2016 can still be supplied to the market. The current ACMA labelling arrangements apply until the commencement date.
Link to full article:
Mandatory reporting for service agents and technicians – Supplier bulletin.
“Suppliers of consumer goods and related services, including service agents and technicians, are required to report serious injury, illness or death associated with consumer goods. This requirement is known as ‘mandatory reporting’.” …
“Serious illness or injury means an acute physical injury or illness requiring medical or surgical treatment by, or under the supervision of, a qualified doctor or nurse.”
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