Electrical Equipment Safety System June 2015 Update

2025 registered responsible suppliers for EESS or EESS and ACMA requirements

907 additional suppliers registered for ACMA only requirements

5025 level 3 equipment registrations

11,357 level 1 equipment types and brands (and in some cases model numbers) registered

Breakdown of registered responsible suppliers is as follows:

• 38% of suppliers are NSW based companies, 
• 31% are Victorian based, 
• 14% are Queensland based, 
• 8% are New Zealand based, 
• 5% are Western Australian,
• 3% are South Australian and
• 1% spread over other jurisdictions

The certification database has around 19 000 active (current valid certification) certificates searchable by retailers, installers and consumers.

There are thee accredited Recognised External Certification Scheme (RECS) that can issue recognised certificates of level 3, level 2 and level 1 equipment that can loaded onto the national certification database and be used for registering and linking to equipment registered on the national EESS registration database. These certificates are issued following the consistent transparent published Equipment Safety Rules requirements for issuing certificates.

The certifiers are: 

• EESS Conformity Certification Services (CCS) 
• Global Mark Pty Ltd 
• UL International (New Zealand) Pty Ltd

In addition Electrical Safety Regulators who apply the consistent transparent published Equipment Safety Rules requirements for issuing certificates include:

• ESV (Victorian regulator) – for all suppliers
• ESO (Queensland regulator) – for all suppliers
• Tasmanian Regulator – for Tasmanian based suppliers only
• South Australian Regulator – for South Australian based suppliers only

Check testing of equipment sourced directly from the marketplace is being undertaken by Queensland and Victorian regulators, with input from Tasmanian, South Australian, Australian Capital Territory, Western Australian and New Zealand regulators. 

Check testing results to date include:

• In 2013 -2014 check testing included, amongst other equipment, electrical portable outlet devices (powerboards) and outcomes of these tests resulted in discussions with suppliers, notices, additional testing by some suppliers and recall action on 10 models of powerboards over the latter half of 2014.
• In addition in 2013-2014 several categories of whitegoods were check tested, resulting in a number of failures that were discussed with the suppliers and modification of product being sold.
• 2014-15 check testing program and outcomes is on-going and activity to date includes:
• LED lamps (“self-ballasted” type) – 20 samples tested, 13 failures noted (of these 8 related to Australian touch temperature requirements not yet in force in the Australian standard), 2 products removed from sale, some reports still being reviewed.
• LED tubes – 6 samples tested, 4 failures recorded - with one recall being undertaken, several test results being reviewed and rechecked.
• LED drivers – 10 samples still under test
• Electric cable – 9 samples still under test
• Powerboards – 6 samples still under test
• Plastic body portable fan heaters – 10 samples still under test

What is EESS?

• EESS works by identifying the responsible Australian supplier, not the manufacturer or certificate holder who may be overseas
• EESS is a national database where Australian suppliers register as ‘Responsible Suppliers’, the specific products they supply in to the market are also registered
• EESS allows for a central searchable register of certifications, responsible suppliers and their equipment 
• Responsible suppliers make declarations that all products supplied are electrically safe and meet relevant standards when the product is imported or manufactured.
• EESS has 3 levels of registration requirements depending on the risk classification of the products, and there is a documented process to enable review and reclassification (up or down as appropriate to the identified risk) of equipment and this ensures a proportionate and dynamic regulatory oversight whist minimising red tape,
• High risk (level 3) – Certification and equipment registration
• Medium risk (level 2) – test report on hand and equipment registration (no certification required)
• Low risk (Level 1) – products are required to be safe and compliant to the relevant Australian standard (no equipment model registration required – just brand and type is required but model can be registered optional – no fee involved in level 1 registrations)
• Responsible suppliers pay a supplier registration fee of $200 per year and an additional $75 per family of high and medium risk products they supply in to the market and can pay for up to five years registration of equipment at the one time
• registrations of suppliers and certificates are on publically accessible database at https://equipment.erac.gov.au/Registration/

Key Features

• Addresses the key issues with the increasing number of recalls, and the deteriorating standard of imported electrical equipment.  A major step change in the regulatory regime.
• Will drive greater national consistency of certification and supply of household electrical goods
• With the majority of electrical products now imported, EESS helps overcome the significant problem in the traceability of suppliers.
• Wide consultation with Industry during development and implementation phases.
• EESS developed with input from all stakeholders including consumer interests, testing interests, certifier interests, industry and regulators
• EESS already implemented in QLD, Tasmania and Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia undertaking appropriate processes for implementation.
• All jurisdictions recognise certification and RCM as compliance mark for equipment certified under EESS requirements as enabling sale in their jurisdiction
• New Zealand recognise the EESS registration process of supplier and registered brand and model of equipment (including level 3 and level 2 registered equipment and any brand and model registered level 1 EESS equipment) that has a New Zealand supplier as the registered supplier or has an Australian supplier as the registered supplier but also has a New Zealand company address listed as ‘affiliated supplier’ as meeting New Zealand SDoc requirements.
• EESS and associated published and transparent Equipment Safety Rules will raise the bar and stop the “race to the bottom” e.g. certifiers accepting substandard test reports. (certification is now largely a competitive market) 
• Regulators and certifiers will adhere to the same set of rules under the scheme, to allow for consistency in certification which stops “regulator shopping”
• There is a well-defined process so equipment definitions can be reviewed and the risk level lowered or increased depending on the market, technology advances and incident reports (safety trends). This process involves consultation with all interested stakeholders and all regulators together.  
• Enhanced check testing of product taken randomly from market place and enhanced auditing of suppliers to reduce non-compliances and stop sellers who do not supply safe electrical equipment.

Public Benefits

• Empowers consumers to quickly check and ascertain if a product they wish to purchase is registered / certified on accessible website.
• Enables consumers to identify the responsible supplier, especially useful when making purchases online
• EESS will facilitate the development of mobile “apps” to instantly verify compliance and the responsible supplier 
• The revenue collected from supplier and equipment registrations will fund a proactive national Check-Testing Program which will enhance continued compliance of products purchased by consumers.  

Certifier Benefits

• National and coherent approach as all equipment will be certified under one set of rules for all certification requirements
• Rules are clear and publicly available 
• Creates a level playing field and reduces “certifier shopping” but rewards professional and timely certification.
• Certifiers accredited within the EESS will be accredited/recognised by all regulators and able to issue certification for level 3, level 2 and level 1 equipment.

Regulator Benefits

• Efficient and effective traceability of all Australian suppliers enables correspondence on recalls and or standards changes to be distributed quickly and efficiently. 
• Regulators can trace product faults back to the manufacturers and if necessary contact other responsible suppliers that are importing the same or similar equipment and advise them of the identified issues or take additional action if necessary (e.g. recent inflatable spa recalls)
• Database will be constantly updated with supplier contact information. It requires suppliers to renew on a yearly basis. 
• Easy access to a central database so equipment that is inspected during audits can be checked real time

Industry Benefits 

• “Supplier Declaration” ensures suppliers clearly understand their obligations  
• Establishes a level playing field for all suppliers (all in-scope electrical equipment responsible suppliers – importers and Australian manufacturers must register and declare equipment will meet relevant standards)
• Use of RCM as compliance mark rather than individual certification numbers on products simplifies marking requirements for suppliers
• Allows tracking and tracing of all of the suppliers certifications and registered electrical products at no extra cost
• Equipment classification reviews allows for appropriate proportional regulator intervention of equipment supplied, enabling less regulatory burden (by lowering equipment classification) for products not identified as high risk, while improving regulatory oversight (by increasing risk level classification) for products identified as having higher risk. Any changes made have documented phase in periods. This process enables suppliers to have clear understanding of certification and registration requirements, and time frames applicable, and ability to have appropriate regulatory level applied to their equipment, which can result in less cost overall for their certification requirements. When equipment is dropped to a lower classification level that requirement can be applied immediately, again saving time to market and certification costs.
• Clarity on requirements for certification as all certifiers in the EESS will follow same published and documented rules and suppliers have access to those requirements in the published Equipment Safety Rules.
• Clarity on requirements for sale of equipment and once supplier has sold equipment to retailer, the retailer can continue to sell that equipment without need to ensure certification or registration remains (i.e. can sell even if certification or registration expires or standards change). Only exception to this is if regulators identify a safety issue and issue notices to stop the sale. If there are no safety issues identified, suppliers do not have to be concerned retailers will return stock saying it can’t be sold because it is no longer certified.
• ‘One Stop Shop’ for ACMA and Electrical Safety Compliance – reduces red tape
• Receipt of tailored communication relevant to the products the supplier is supplying 
• Responsible suppliers can market they have registered and supply links to the level 3 and level 2 equipment registrations they have made.
• Responsible suppliers can voluntarily register brand and model numbers of level 1 equipment they supply so public / wholesalers / retailers / installers can see the models registered on the EESS national database
• Retailers / wholesalers / installers {i.e. electrical contractors} can use the database to check to see that Level 3 (high risk) equipment received from suppliers is certified and registered and that level 2 equipment is registered and that level 1 equipment has registered supplier (and if supplier chooses to, can see the brand and model of level 1 equipment registered).