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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

A crackdown looms on electrical goods in Canberra

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SHANE Rattenbury and Mick Gentleman have announced that Access Canberra Inspectors will soon be conducting an electrical safety audit on a range of electrical products, including many household items, in retail shops to ensure that products being sold meet Australian safety standards.

Shane said inspectors will be looking for non-compliant electrical products in ACT retail stores, including electric blankets, hair dryers, toasters, microwave ovens and power tools. Non-compliant products will be removed from sale.

“The Australian Consumer Law requires goods sold in Australia to be of acceptable quality and safe for consumers. This compliance program is one aspect of the work Access Canberra undertake to ensure products sold in the ACT are safe for consumers,” Shane said.

“Most household electrical products require an electrical safety approval mark and some small electrical goods may also use other approved marks such as the trade name.

“Electrical safety approval marks indicate to retailers and consumers that the electrical product has been tested and approved for sale. Overseas certificates of approval, and approval marks such as the CE mark are not acceptable in Australia.

“Inspectors will be looking for items which do not display appropriate safety markings for sale and distribution in Australia. Minister Gentleman said this audit will have a strong education focus with inspectors showing retailers what to look for to ensure electrical products are legally approved.”

“I would encourage all retailers of electrical products to familiarise themselves with the legally acceptable safety approval markings contained in the Guide to selling safe electrical goods in the ACT.” Minister Gentleman said.

The guide is available at act.gov.au/accessCBR .

In the ACT, the maximum penalty for selling, importing, hiring or exchanging electrical goods that require safety approval marks and Australian Certificate approval is $30,000 or $150,000 for corporations.

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