A Cannington retailer has been fined $5,000 following a prosecution by WA’s electrical safety regulator for selling an unapproved and potentially dangerous travel adaptor.

PC Master Pty Ltd representatives did not attend the Perth Magistrates Court on 9 October 2019, when the business was found guilty of breaching the Electricity Act 1945 and also ordered to pay costs of $766.

The court was told that in May 2018, inspectors from Building and Energy (formerly EnergySafety) attended PC Master’s iTech mobile phone repair and accessory store at Westfield Carousel shopping centre.

The inspectors identified an international travel adaptor for sale that did not have the electrical safety certification required for it to be sold in Australia. It also had uninsulated pins, which are banned in WA for almost all electrical appliances and equipment.

Director of Energy Safety Saj Abdoolakhan is urging consumers and retailers to immediately stop using or selling the adaptor, which has a green tab and comes in blue packaging with a pixelated graphic, a tick logo and the word ‘ROHS’.

“Uninsulated pins are very dangerous and have led to electric shock deaths from contact with the live metal pins when a device is plugged in,” Mr Abdoolakhan said. 

“Outlet devices such as this adaptor are classed as high-risk equipment and must have an official certification mark and approval number showing they have been approved for sale in Australia.

“The purpose of the approval process is to ensure that manufacturers, sellers or hirers of electrical appliances provide evidence to customers that these items are safe from the dangers of electric shock.

“The significant penalty in this case shows the seriousness of this offence and why retailers must take responsibility for ensuring the electrical appliances they supply are safe. The supply of unapproved items that put the public at risk will not be tolerated.”

See the Building and Energy website (via dmirs.wa.gov.au) for more information on the safe use of electrical appliances, or visit the Electrical Equipment Safety System website (via eess.gov.au) to check the certification of particular appliances or equipment.

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Media contact: Sarah Roberts – 0466 409 828 (media queries only) or CPmedia@demirs.wa.gov.au

Images available by request.

Further information:

• Fact sheet – Electrical appliances and equipment: Importing, selling or hiring
  https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/atoms/files/importing_electrical_appliances.pdf
• Electrical appliance approval marks
  https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/building-and-energy/electrical-appliance-approval-marks
• Pins on plug tops: insulated pin requirements
  https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/atoms/files/insulated_pins_on_plug_tops_0.pdf

The non-compliant travel adaptor sold by PC Master.