9 January 2020

An electronic goods supplier was fined $67,500 at the Auckland District Court last month for selling unsafe electrical appliances to customers.

In 2018 Expert Electronics Limited (trading as Expert Infotech) sold electronic speakers with chargers that were deemed electrically unsafe, because they had non-New Zealand plugs.

With the speakers, the company also supplied adaptors which had been deemed electrically unsafe for use in New Zealand.

WorkSafe’s Manager for Energy Safety, Mark Wogan, said between 2008 and 2015 Expert Infotech received three warnings for the sale of non-compliant electrical product.

“Despite numerous warnings from WorkSafe, the company continued to import and sell unsafe products to customers.

“Power plug adaptors can be very dangerous because of the way they are used, often at skirting board level and easily assessable by infants and small children.

“They also allow the use of electrical products in New Zealand that have not been designed by the manufacturer to be safe when used with the New Zealand power supply,” Mr Wogan said.

“Electricity has the potential to be extremely dangerous if safety rules are not followed. This should be considered as a warning to anyone selling goods that do not comply with the New Zealand Electricity Act and Regulations.”

Notes: 

• A fine of $67,500 was imposed
• Expert Electronics Limited was sentenced under regulations 80, 83 and 84 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and section 163C of the Electricity Act 1992.
• Supplying a new or used fitting or appliance knowing that, or being reckless as to whether, the fitting or appliance is electrically unsafe.
• Supplying a declared medium-risk article, without having a supplier declaration of conformity.
• Supplying a declared high-risk article not approved for sale by WorkSafe.
• Taking an action contrary to a provision of the Electricity Act 1992, knowing that action was reasonably likely to cause serious harm to any person or significant property damage, and failed to prevent, as far as was reasonably practicable, the serious harm or significant property damage.