ACCC puts electricians and builders on notice that they must replace unsafe Infinity cables
19 October 2015
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is urging electricians and builders to replace dangerous Infinity electrical cables that were installed in up to 40,000 homes and businesses throughout Australia.
The cables fail to meet safety standards due to poor quality plastic insulation coating. Tests have shown that the cable may become prematurely brittle from 2016 onwards, which could cause fires or electric shock if the cables are then disturbed.
More than a year after the recall of Infinity cables, 62 per cent of the faulty cables are yet to be remediated, posing a serious and unnecessary risk to community safety, ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
Electricians and builders have an obligation to inform the home owners and businesses where they worked that their electrical installations are unsafe and non-compliant.
State and territory regulators can issue rectification orders requiring electricians and builders to replace non-compliant cables, and will do so where Infinity cables are known to have been installed and contractors have simply ignored the problem. Such orders have already been issued and more are expected to follow, Ms Rickard said.
Ms Rickard advised electricians to immediately contact the suppliers of Infinity cables they installed to seek assistance with remediating Infinity cables under the suppliers recall. As outlined in therecalls(link is external), electricians should not fear costs as these are being met by their suppliers. If an electrician thinks they bought Infinity cable from a supplier not listed in the recalls they should contact the ACCC.
It would be far better for electricians to be on the front foot and schedule this work rather than waiting to see if a regulator contacts them. While they do nothing, they run the risk of a house burning down, or a fellow tradesperson or home owner being electrocuted.
Licensed electricians can expect further contact via the licensing schemes in their respective states and territories to be advised about their legal obligations and urged to take action nowbefore its too late.
Home owners are also urged to have all electrical cable installations carried out between April 2010 and October 2013 inspected by an electrician. Any Infinity cables that are discovered should be remediated as soon as possible under the suppliers recall. An inspection can be carried out for as little as $100.
Following the announcement of national recalls of Infinity cables in August 2014, NSW Fair Trading also issued amandatory recall(link is external)capturing a further 25 smaller NSW wholesalers in August 2015.
In early 2014, the ACCC formed a taskforce of state and territory electrical safety, building, and consumer affairs regulators to address the problem when the importer of the cables, Infinity Cable Company, liquidated.
The recalls apply to all sizes and configurations of TPS and Orange Round mains power cables sourced from Infinity Cable Co Pty Ltd and supplied under 'INFINITY' and 'OLSENT' brands.
Information received from suppliers as at 12 October 2015 indicates that between recall notifications and that date, the following progress has been made:
at least 686 km of cable has been remediated or returned to suppliers
three of the smaller suppliers have completed their remediation
at least 823 homes have been remediated
787 km of cable has been identified for future remediation
remediation has been scheduled in a further 389 premises.
ACCC Data as of 12 October 15
STATE
INSTALLATION PERIOD
KM SUPPLIED
KM REMEDIATED (replaced, rendered safe under the recalls, or returned to stores)
KM RECOVERED FROM WAREHOUSES
KM SCHEDULED FOR FUTURE REMEDIATION
KM OUTSTANDING
% OF CABLE OUTSTANDING
AS A PERCENTAGE OF CABLE SUPPLIED IN THE STATE OR TERRITORY
% OF CABLE ACCOUNTED FOR AS A PERCENTAGE OF CABLE SUPPLIED IN THE STATE OR TERRITORY
PROPERTIES MADE SAFE
NSW
2010-2013
1,849
28
-
-
1821
98
2
169
QLD
2012-2013
680
20
-
-
660
97
3
202
SA
2012-2013
44
0.1
-
-
44
100
0
3
TAS
2013
4
0.1
-
-
4
97
3
1
VIC
2012-2013
910
13
-
-
897
99
1
60
WA
2012-2013
251
0.6
-
-
250
100
0
7
ACT
2011-2013
162
5
-
0.6
157
97
3
195
NT
N/A
N/A
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Unspecified state
-
-
215
403
786
-
-
-
186
TOTAL
-
3900
283
403
787
2429*
-**
38%***
823
* Cable remediated or recovered in unspecified states/territories has been deducted from total km outstanding, as has cable scheduled for future remediation.
** note that % outstanding is a maximum and additional cable may be remediated as part of the unspecified state figures.
*** Includes cable remediated or recovered in unspecified states/territories and cable scheduled for future remediation.
ACCC puts electricians and builders on notice that they must replace unsafe Infinity cables
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is urging electricians and builders to replace dangerous Infinity electrical cables that were installed in up to 40,000 homes and businesses throughout Australia.
The cables fail to meet safety standards due to poor quality plastic insulation coating. Tests have shown that the cable may become prematurely brittle from 2016 onwards, which could cause fires or electric shock if the cables are then disturbed.
More than a year after the recall of Infinity cables, 62 per cent of the faulty cables are yet to be remediated, posing a serious and unnecessary risk to community safety, ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
Electricians and builders have an obligation to inform the home owners and businesses where they worked that their electrical installations are unsafe and non-compliant.
State and territory regulators can issue rectification orders requiring electricians and builders to replace non-compliant cables, and will do so where Infinity cables are known to have been installed and contractors have simply ignored the problem. Such orders have already been issued and more are expected to follow, Ms Rickard said.
Ms Rickard advised electricians to immediately contact the suppliers of Infinity cables they installed to seek assistance with remediating Infinity cables under the suppliers recall. As outlined in therecalls(link is external), electricians should not fear costs as these are being met by their suppliers. If an electrician thinks they bought Infinity cable from a supplier not listed in the recalls they should contact the ACCC.
It would be far better for electricians to be on the front foot and schedule this work rather than waiting to see if a regulator contacts them. While they do nothing, they run the risk of a house burning down, or a fellow tradesperson or home owner being electrocuted.
Licensed electricians can expect further contact via the licensing schemes in their respective states and territories to be advised about their legal obligations and urged to take action nowbefore its too late.
Home owners are also urged to have all electrical cable installations carried out between April 2010 and October 2013 inspected by an electrician. Any Infinity cables that are discovered should be remediated as soon as possible under the suppliers recall. An inspection can be carried out for as little as $100.
Further information is available on our website
Background
Following the announcement of national recalls of Infinity cables in August 2014, NSW Fair Trading also issued a mandatory recall(link is external) capturing a further 25 smaller NSW wholesalers in August 2015.
In early 2014, the ACCC formed a taskforce of state and territory electrical safety, building, and consumer affairs regulators to address the problem when the importer of the cables, Infinity Cable Company, liquidated.
The recalls apply to all sizes and configurations of TPS and Orange Round mains power cables sourced from Infinity Cable Co Pty Ltd and supplied under 'INFINITY' and 'OLSENT' brands.
Information received from suppliers as at 12 October 2015 indicates that between recall notifications and that date, the following progress has been made:
ACCC Data as of 12 October 15
STATE
INSTALLATION PERIOD
KM SUPPLIED
KM REMEDIATED (replaced, rendered safe under the recalls, or returned to stores)
KM RECOVERED FROM WAREHOUSES
KM SCHEDULED FOR FUTURE REMEDIATION
KM OUTSTANDING
% OF CABLE OUTSTANDING
AS A PERCENTAGE OF CABLE SUPPLIED IN THE STATE OR TERRITORY
% OF CABLE ACCOUNTED FOR AS A PERCENTAGE OF CABLE SUPPLIED IN THE STATE OR TERRITORY
PROPERTIES MADE SAFE
NSW
2010-2013
1,849
28
-
-
1821
98
2
169
QLD
2012-2013
680
20
-
-
660
97
3
202
SA
2012-2013
44
0.1
-
-
44
100
0
3
TAS
2013
4
0.1
-
-
4
97
3
1
VIC
2012-2013
910
13
-
-
897
99
1
60
WA
2012-2013
251
0.6
-
-
250
100
0
7
ACT
2011-2013
162
5
-
0.6
157
97
3
195
NT
N/A
N/A
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Unspecified state
-
-
215
403
786
-
-
-
186
TOTAL
-
3900
283
403
787
2429*
-**
38%***
823
* Cable remediated or recovered in unspecified states/territories has been deducted from total km outstanding, as has cable scheduled for future remediation.
** note that % outstanding is a maximum and additional cable may be remediated as part of the unspecified state figures.
*** Includes cable remediated or recovered in unspecified states/territories and cable scheduled for future remediation.
Tags
Share
Media
Subscribe
Receive email updates on: