The Building and Energy safety regulator has urged consumers, sellers and importers to check that the household electrical equipment they were dealing with was approved for sale in Australia.
The regulator issued the warning after two retail chains were each fined $5,000 for selling illegal and potentially hazardous lamps.
A site inspection revealed some Turkish-style lamps in the stores lacked the required electrical safety certification labels.
Director of Energy Safety, Saj Abdoolakhan (pictured with a non-compliant lamp) advised people to check for an approval number or a regulatory compliance mark (a tick in a triangle) on all household appliances and their plugs.
“Certification can also be confirmed by searching for the model number at the Electrical Equipment Safety System website,” Mr Abdoolakhan said.
“The approval process is more than just a legal requirement, it saves lives.”
He said electrical appliances that were certified for sale or hire had been independently assessed as having a safe design that complied with Australian electrical standards.
“Some of the non-compliant lamps identified by Building and Energy had dangerous defects including damaged wiring inside the curved metal tube and no earth pin, which is compulsory for electrical items cased in metal,” Mr Abdoolakhan said.
“Faults like these could cause electric shocks or fires.”
He said it was vital that everyone played their part to ensure that unregulated household electrical equipment was not sold or used in Australia, including anyone importing items or offering them for sale or hire.
“Consumers should also verify that an appliance is certified before they buy it, particularly if it is coming from overseas,” Mr Abdoolakhan said.
