Safety Standards !

In the run up to last Christmas the hot gift item was the Hoverboard.   They sold like hot cakes and it was not long before problems arose with the recharging of their batteries, and since then we know of four house fires - two of which totally destroyed the users home - attributed to either the failure of the lithium-ion batteries or the associated charging mechanism.

Three months later the government has banned the sale of Hoverboards that do not meet the Australian electrical safety standards - and a breach will involve a fine of up to $ 1.1 million. That is certainly like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.  We know that the pre-Christmas sale of Hoverboards ran to more than a hundred thousand units, hence there is danger lurking in many Australian homes.

That is not an unusual situation. A year earlier it was discovered that there was a flood of very cheap transformers that reduced mains power to the needs of electrical items such as mobile phone for battery recharging being sold in newsagencies and variety stores.   They were made in China and if they malfunctioned they were capable of starting a house fire.   The safety standards people issued a warning to inspect such items - and discard them if they did not have the Australian safety logo embossed on a surface.

Worse still was the importation of electrical cable used in house wiring.   Two brands from a manufacturer in China had insulation that lasted far less than the minimum forty years required by the appropriate Australian standard.   Literally miles of this stuff passed through hardware chain stores and we know that it was used by many professional electricians to wire new homes and to wire renovations and extensions.   About now, that insulation is due to start failing and there is a growing danger of house fires or electrocution if a householder comes into contact with the wiring.

A recall was issued, but we know that only a small fraction has been discovered, removed and the area rewired.  Basically, house wiring with deficient insulation is a ticking time bomb that the electrical authorities expect will be the cause of house fires for generations to come.

The question many will ask - is how was this allowed to happen ?   We certainly have safety standards in place with products like cars.  Every new model car is required to be safety tested and allocated a safety rating and that becomes a selling point stressed when the vehicle is being advertised to the public.

It seems that electrical safety is being taken on trust.  There are no automatic checks on whatever is imported into Australia and if something is sub standard that only becomes apparent when a failure occurs that brings it to public notice.  Reputable brand manufacturers comply with the required Australian safety standards, but the relentless pressure for ever cheaper products pushes production of copies into the hands of minor manufacturers, many of whom lack the technical expertise to meet safety standards.   What they churn out may look the part, but contain componentry that is downright dangerous.

All this delivers a major headache to the Australian safety people.   Ideally, all electrical items imported to Australia should receive a safety check before they clear the dock, but that would require a bureaucratic hurdle that would be time consuming - and very expensive.   The problem is the vast number of items that would be involved.   There is equal danger in two dollar transformers to charge mobile phone and big ticket items like Hoverboards.  Basically, any electrical item with a fault is capable of starting a fire or delivering electrocution.

Perhaps the only practical legislation would be to make the importer responsible for safety outcomes.  The cost of a recall would persuade many to submit a sample to Australian authorities and gain a safety clearance rather than run the risk and that would surely weed out many deficient imports.

Right now it is clear that very unsafe items are making their way onto the Australian retail market. It is a function of government to solve that problem  !