Buying electrical appliances
Faulty electrical appliances, misusing electrical appliances and incorrect electrical installations cause many fires, electric shocks and injuries to people every year.
You can reduce the risk of this happening to you by buying appliances that have been safety tested and approved for use in Australia. Also, if any damage is caused to your property by a non-certified electrical appliance, your insurance company may not cover you.
Electrical safety testing and certification
Electrical appliances that could pose a safety risk if something goes wrong are known as proclaimed products. By law, they must be safety tested before they can be sold, installed or offered for hire in South Australia.
Look for a safety approval mark from a recognised Australian regulator or certifier. The only way to ensure an electrical appliance is safe.
Electrical safety marks – what to look for
Buying appliances online or from overseas
Unless you have experience assessing electrical product safety conformance, it can be difficult to ensure the safety and certification of an electrical product you want to buy online.
If you are going to buy an electrical appliance online, shop with a reputable Australian-based seller. Some sellers claiming to be located in Australia may be based overseas, so check their details carefully before buying anything. Just because a seller has good online feedback, it doesn’t mean their products are safe.
Before buying, ask the seller for details of the electrical product’s Australian safety approval – request a copy of the Australian certificate of approval, and check that the certificate details match the product’s markings and specifications.
Buying or using electrical appliances from overseas is not recommended, even if they are safety certified by an overseas organisation, as they may not be safe for use in Australian conditions. Electrical appliances used in Australia should be tested and certified by a recognised Australian organisation because:
- overseas products may not be suitable for or tested to our voltage and frequency tolerances
- overseas product documentation (eg certification, test reports or declarations) may be fake or incomplete
- you may not be protected by Australian consumer protection and warranty laws if something goes wrong with the product.