Watch Out for LED Drivers without an RCM Mark!
The number of unapproved LED drivers entering Australia without an RCM mark is alarming.
From what we see regularly, the majority are either imported along with LED light fittings purchased from suppliers in Asia or purchased online from an overseas distributor.
Below is a recent example of an LED driver, which came in with an LED light fitting.
As you can see, there is no RCM mark. This LED driver cannot be installed in a roof space in Australia, and it doesn't have the necessary electrical safety certification.
When you buy an electrical item from overseas, it is your responsibility as the importer to ensure that any LED driver that accompanies the LED light fitting has Australian approvals and displays the RCM mark. This includes if you purchased the item online from a distributor who is not based in Australia.
This is a ‘gotcha’ to be aware of.
A ‘.com.au’ domain does not guarantee that the business is based in Australia, and pricing is shown in Australian dollars.
Check the ‘about us’, or ‘contact’ page to see where the business is located.
If they do not have an Australian address and an ABN number, you are responsible for ensuring that what you are buying has been tested and approved, according to the Australian Electrical Safety regulations.
When you buy from Power Supplies Australia, you are buying from an Australian-owned business that holds stock here in Australia. We have had all of the testing and certification carried out, which is required by law. The LED drivers we supply will be correctly labelled with an RCM mark.
If you are buying LED light fittings from overseas and the LED driver is external to the light fitting, then it will need to have been tested and certified according to Australian standards and show an RCM mark. It is your responsibility as the importer to ensure that this has been done.
If the power supply is fitted inside a light fitting, it doesn’t need to be approved. However, the light fitting itself has to be tested for electrical safety, and the test reports must be made available within 10 days of any request made by any of the Australian state-based electrical safety regulators.
As part of the introduction of the new RCM mark, more resources are being put into inspecting electrical goods to prosecute anyone bringing in non-compliant LED drivers and other electrical items.
Penalties for breaking the law include hefty fines and periods of imprisonment.
What happens if you have imported a non-approved LED driver?
The answer to this question is purely up to the regulators.
If the non-approved LED driver has caused death by electrocution or has started a fire, then expect the consequences to be severe. The regulations exist to prevent such events from occurring.
If no one has been harmed and no property damaged, the consequences are still costly. You can still expect to incur some sort of penalty, and you will most likely have to fund a mandatory recall of any products you have sold into the Australian market.
You may be tempted to buy from overseas because you think it is cheaper. In fact, in many cases, our pricing is more competitive than that offered by some of the overseas-based online resellers.
Remember that volume pricing is also available on request. Contact Power Supplies Australia for a quote.
