Compliance & Precision News Round-Up - Issue 23

This issue covers:

Decrease in EU notifications of unsafe consumer products...
...as Dubai steps up seizures of illegal electronic goods
Clare HAL104 shines brightly at emergency lighting company
New trade event for UK hire industry
New EU energy labelling for vacuum cleaners

Decrease in EU notifications of unsafe consumer products...

The European Commission has released statistics on notices of unsafe consumer products that have been processed through the EU’s rapid information system (RAPEX) for the period from January 1 through June 30, 2013.

According to the Commission’s report, 783 notifications of products posing a serious risk to the health and safety of consumers were processed through the RAPEX system during the first half of 2013. The notifications included 78 cases related to electrical appliances, the third highest category after clothing and textiles (194) and toys (176).

The figures represented an overall 20% decrease in the notifications received over the same period in 2012.

More than half of all notifications (60%) were related to products originating from China, including Hong Kong. 15% of unsafe products originated in EU Member States, while 8% failed to identify any country of origin.

For a full copy of the report, visit http://ec.europa.eu/.

...as Dubai steps up seizures of illegal electronic goods

It is reported from the UAE that the Dubai Municipality has confiscated 768 items of electronic equipment for violating conditions with regards to public health and safety as well as breaching compliance rules.

The inspection targeted equipment and tools used at various workshops and construction sites where construction works are going on. Under the country’s Local Order 10: 2003 (Conditions for the Technical Requirements for Electrical Equipment in Dubai), no person is allowed to exhibit, market, sell or advertise the sale of any electrical equipment in the emirate unless the equipment has the necessary conformity mark.

The electrical equipment is considered to have a conformity mark if, It has a conformity mark according to the Regional or International Standards approved by the Concerned Authority or; is supported with the Technical Documentation, which enables the Concerned Authority to verify the safety and conformity of the electrical equipment according to the Approved Standards.

Those outlets involved in the sale, distribution and use of illegal equipment also faced financial penalties, as part of efforts by the Dubai Municipality to reduce workplace accidents to zero by making people aware and by enforcing laws and regulations.

The full story is at www.emirates247.com/.

Clare HAL104 shines brightly at emergency lighting company

A leading manufacturer of commercial emergency lighting products has improved electrical safety test standards using the advanced HAL 104 multifunction tester from Clare.

Nu-Era Lighting Ltd, a member of the Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL), designs and supplies a range of fluorescent and discharge lighting systems for public sector buildings, including vandal resistant, IP65 rated weatherproof, EXIT signs and emergency luminaires.

The company’s facility at Witham, Essex, has been using four HAL 104s on its two production lines to test upwards of 1,500 units manufactured each week before distribution to electrical wholesalers around the UK.

The HAL 104 performs a range of important safety tests during production, including earth bonding at 10A, DC insulation resistance at 500VDC and checking for power leakage, to ensure compliance with EN 60598 and guarantee product quality, performance and reliability.

Function testing is also undertaken as part of the test programme to check that each unit switches on/off and lights correctly at the required power consumption levels and that any ancillary equipment works in accordance with technical specifications.

This ensures Nu-Era products are safe to use after leaving the factory gate and that an accurate test record is maintained for all the units produced in the advent of any later damage during distribution or to track and trace any product returns - in line with the company’s quality assurance programme.

The digital HAL 104s, which replaced manually operated test equipment, are fast, high performance automatic instruments which record test results and ensure accurate testing is carried out in line with relevant product standards at all times.

Nu-Era Lighting is seeing strong demand for its products from customers so, in a move to further secure product quality and reliability, the company plans to introduce two HAL104s as it gears up for expansion into a new workshop unit at its Witham site.

Olly Mansell, technical manager, said: “The HAL 104 is a brilliant piece of kit, providing fast, accurate and extremely reliable testing.

“It provides us with the confidence and peace-of-mind knowing that every unit leaving the factory for the customer is 100% safe-to-use and works properly. And this is all supported and backed-up by a traceable test record and certificate to guarantee quality standard and reliability.”

The HAL 104 combines the performance of a multi-function production line safety tester with load and power factor measurement for product energy consumption and ratings assessments.

The instrument meets the end of line electrical safety compliance tests required by the majority of national and international product safety standards, including EN 60335, EN 60745 and EN 60598 and others.

More details here.

New trade event for UK hire industry

The Hire Association Europe has announced the launch of a new event designed to educate, inform and raise awareness of the hire sector.

The HAE Hire Convention will be held on 29th and 30th January 2014 at the National Motorcyle Museum in Birmingham. The event will have three core areas – a Conference, Exhibition and Education Workshops – as well as a formal dinner.

The intention is to create a ‘Desire for Hire’ by showcasing innovation in the sector and demonstrating the strength of the sector. For more details www.hae.org.uk.

New EU energy labelling for vacuum cleaners

As part of its energy efficiency drive, the European Commission has issued new regulations regarding the requirements for the energy labelling of vacuum cleaners.

The revised energy labelling requirements have now been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, and supplements the labelling requirements previously published in Directive 2010/30/EC regarding vacuum cleaners.

Energy labelling requirements for a variety of home appliances and electronic devices have been promulgated by the Commission in an effort to increase consumer knowledge about the actual energy consumption of comparable household appliances, thereby creating incentives for manufacturers to improve the energy efficiency of their respective products.

In recent years, the Commission has issued revised energy labelling requirements for refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, televisions and air conditioners.

The latest details are available at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/.