Importing 1kg Roaster from China

[Vinitasse]

Getting back to the original debate, is there anything preventing a private user from importing and/or using an appliance that has not attained compliance certification? I still don't believe so.

According to Standards Australia:

If you purchase electrical equipment from overseas you will be classified as the equipment importer and have the added obligation of ensuring the equipment is designed, examined and tested to be electrically safe. This testing includes materials flammability and strength, high voltage, product ageing, high current, over current, product marking and dimensional requirement tests.

[Dragunov21]

Under section 18 of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (the Act), electrical work includes “the manufacturing, constructing, installing, testing, maintaining, repairing, altering, removing, or replacing of electrical equipment”.
This covers tasks such as installing a new power point, replacing a light switch, replacing a batten holder with a new light fitting, repairing an appliance such as a heater, altering the location of an existing power point, replacing a light fitting with a ceiling fan, or constructing an extension lead and replacing a plug on the end of a lead.

Now that's interesting. I may be flat out wrong, but I'll check the TAS legislation when I get the chance to see if that is correct here too. It's the first I've read of plug-top replacement (or socket-connectable appliances) being included in the definition of regulated electrical work.

*EDIT* Nope, identical wording in the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012. I'd be very interested to know when that became law (inb4 2012)

I learned something I didn't know but should have, cheers.

Getting back to the original debate, is there anything preventing a private user from importing and/or using an appliance that has not attained compliance certification? I still don't believe so.

[Vinitasse]

Not if it's a non-hardwired appliance it's not. Touch the wiring of a house unlicensed and you'll find yourself in a world of pain but if it plugs into a socket that's your own business, last I checked.

Under section 18 of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (the Act), electrical work includes “the manufacturing, constructing, installing, testing, maintaining, repairing, altering, removing, or replacing of electrical equipment”.
This covers tasks such as installing a new power point, replacing a light switch, replacing a batten holder with a new light fitting, repairing an appliance such as a heater, altering the location of an existing power point, replacing a light fitting with a ceiling fan, or constructing an extension lead and replacing a plug on the end of a lead.

[TC]

Believe it or not I'm not trying to score points here; I gave up arguing for the sake of it a couple years back.

*searches for raised brow emote....

[Dragunov21]

Apart from injury or death, DIY electrical work is regarded as unlicensed electrical work

Not if it's a non-hardwired appliance it's not. Touch the wiring of a house unlicensed and you'll find yourself in a world of pain but if it plugs into a socket that's your own business, last I checked.

[Vinitasse]

Ok, so let's say I did (in a parallel universe where I'm not an electrician).

What would I be charged with for wiring up my dodgy plug or using it?

Apart from injury or death, DIY electrical work is regarded as unlicensed electrical work, which is illegal, and has penalties of up to $40,000 for individuals.
A breach that causes a death or grievous bodily harm attracts a maximum penalty of $100,000 for an individual ($500,000 for a corporation) or two years imprisonment. If a breach causes multiple deaths, the maximum penalty is $200,000 for an individual ($1,000,000 for a corporation) or three years imprisonment.

[Dragunov21]

Believe it or not I'm not trying to score points here; I gave up arguing for the sake of it a couple years back.

I'm also not certain that I'm right because I know sod-all about gas safety legislation and I want the correct information out there for myself and others. That's all.

If a device is compliant to EU standards, are you unconvinced that is is safe?

[TC]

Ok, so let's say I did (in a parallel universe where I'm not an electrician).

What would I be charged with for wiring up my dodgy plug or using it?

Easy...Membership to the Darwin awards club

[Dragunov21]

Ok, so let's say I did (in a parallel universe where I'm not an electrician).

What would I be charged with for wiring up my dodgy plug or using it?

[Vinitasse]

For sale, use in a workplace or use in a home?

The reason I ask is that I can wire up a dodgy plug myself and it's illegal to sell, illegal to use in a workplace but completely legal for me to have an use (and doesn't void my home and contents insurance, if I read it correctly).

Is gas safety enforced differently?

For use anywhere in Australia and by anyone and, as far as I know... it is NOT legal (or insurable) for you to wire up a "dodgy plug" for yourself.

[Dragunov21]

For sale, use in a workplace or use in a home?

The reason I ask is that I can wire up a dodgy plug myself and it's illegal to sell, illegal to use in a workplace but completely legal for me to have an use (and doesn't void my home and contents insurance, if I read it correctly).

Is gas safety enforced differently?

Yup... here in Australia they certainly are the be-all-and-end-all and you really ain't got no choice in the matter

Tell that to the thousands of private-import motorcycle helmets in use... No-one has ever been able to point to a case where insurance has failed to pay out on a crash involving a non-AS-stickered but BSI/SNELL certified helmet, IME.

[Vinitasse]

Yeah, because Australian standards are the be-all-and-end-all...

Yup... here in Australia they certainly are the be-all-and-end-all and you really ain't got no choice in the matter

[Vinitasse]

This comes from curiosity (not as a challenge) but I can't find anything in AAMI's (as an example) general exclusions, unless operating a noncompliant elec/gas appliance is unlawful?

I think what you're looking for is AS/NZS3820 and YES.... these are LEGALLY MANDATED standards which are then enforced by each state or territory

[Dragunov21]

Sure...until you burn something down, blow something up or self-administer a dose of 240. Sorry, but if people read this and believe it, they place themselves at risk- and not just of an insurance claim knock back. Silly statement.

Yeah, because Australian standards are the be-all-and-end-all...

In honesty I haven't taken the time to check the standards it DOES comply to besides underwriters labs, but if I wanted to purchase one I would determine whether they were reasonably equivalent to australian standards.

Just like SNELL's good enough for me when it comes to MC helmets.

[Sully]

As someone who has worked in insurance for over 15 years in claims, underwriting and risk management I can say with some confidence that this is just untrue. If you're unsure read your PDS or give your insurer a call.