Faulty household electrical appliances cause electrical fires and injuries to people in Australia every year. You can reduce these risks by buying appliances that have been safety tested and approved for use in Australia.
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Always buy safety approved electrical appliances
Buying electrical appliances online or mail order
Electrical safety marks - what to look for Risks of buying appliances without safety approval Always buy safety approved electrical appliances
Electrical appliances that have a high safety risk must by law be safety tested before they can be sold in South Australia.
These appliances are defined in the
Electrical Products Act 2000 as
proclaimed products.
To find out which appliances must be safety approved see the
list of proclaimed products in South Australia.
Buying an electrical appliance in Australia does not mean that it meets the Australian safety standards. The only way to ensure the safety of an electrical appliance is to look for a safety approval mark issued in Australia from a state regulator or a private certifier.
The
Office of the Technical Regulator is responsible for the safety legislation of electrical appliances in South Australia.
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Buying electrical appliances online or by mail order
If you are buying electrical appliances online from an Australian store or private seller online, you should always ask for the details of the product’s safety approval.
Buying from overseas retailers or individuals is not recommended as appliances purchased from overseas sources may not have the necessary Australian safety approvals.
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Electrical safety marks - what to look for
The approval marks vary according to the state or organisation that has issued them.
Proclaimed products offered for sale in South Australia must have one of the following currently recognised approval marks:
Recognised approval marks for electrical appliances| Type of approval mark | Example |
|---|
| South Australian approval number | S number |
| NSW approval number | N number
NSW number |
| QLD, VIC & TAS approval numbers | Q number
V number
T number |
| Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) | |
| International Testing and Certification Services Pty Ltd (ACN 098 886 563) | A/number/EA |
| SAI Global Certification Services Pty Ltd (ACN 108 716 669) | SAI TE EA number
SAI SMK EA number |
SGS Systems and Services Certification Pty Ltd
(ACN 060 156 014) | SGS EA number |
The Australian Gas Association
(ACN 004 206 044) | AGA number EA |
UL International New Zealand Ltd
(NZ Incorporation Number 1983441) | U number EA |
A, SAI TE, SAI SMK, SGS, AGA and U identify the independent certifier.
EA denotes the approval of a proclaimed electrical article.
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Risks of Buying and selling unapproved proclaimed products
- Appliances that are unapproved have caused fires, electric shocks and injuries to users.
- In the event of an accident your insurance may not cover damages caused by unapproved appliances.
- These appliances may not have a valid warranty and you may not be able to find spare parts for the product in Australia.
- It is illegal to offer proclaimed products for sale or hire unless they have been approved by either an Australian state regulator or a recognised independent testing organisation.
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More information
On this site Using a licensed electrician and electrical certificates of complianceUsing and maintaining electrical appliances