Only buy electrical products that you know are safe.
We use electrical products every day – which makes it easy to forget how lethal mains electricity can be. The vast majority of electrical appliances comply with our safety laws. But there's still some products on sale that don't meet safety requirements and these can be more than just potentially unsafe.
Some of the worst culprits are replacement mobile phone and digital camera chargers that we all use in our homes and offices. If they're bought from recognised mainstream retailers, you shouldn't have a problem – but be on your guard when you buy these products from online auction sites and discount retail outlets.
Take the case of an office worker who reached under a desk to sort out a bought-over-the-internet phone charger that wasn't working. What they didn’t know was that the plug adaptor supplied with the charger had broken, exposing live parts. The worker received a serious electric shock that included deep-tissue damage to their hand.
The importer was prosecuted for supplying an illegal phone charger and an unsafe plug adaptor. Other cases have resulted in instant fines or prosecutions.
How to tell it’s safe
For most household electrical product to be legal the retailer must be able to supply a "Supplier Declaration of Conformity" (SDoC). A valid SDoC shows the product/model meets a recognised standard and indicates the seller has taken the care to establish the safety of the goods before selling them. It's also proof that the product/model has been safety-tested in an accredited laboratory.
Traders or retailers are legally required to produce a SDoC if they're asked for it.
- If you’re thinking of buying from an online auction site, ask for the product’s SDoC. If there's no answer or the answer is no, don’t buy the product.
- Don’t buy a product from a discount retail store unless the store can produce a SDoC for it.
- Don't be taken in by official-looking markings on the product, such as CE – the CE mark is meaningless in New Zealand.
- Any electrical product you buy should plug directly into a wall socket and not need an adaptor. If you’re sold an appliance with an adaptor, don't use it. Return it and ask for your money back.
More information
- Energy Safety guide to supplying safe electrical products – www.energysafety.govt.nz
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@John D R
A bit of care does not help with the low-quality adaptors like the one that nearly killed the unfortunate office worker above. If a tourist buys an adaptor in NZ, that adaptor in most cases is approved for use in NZ, and should be safe. We've already been told of one parallel importer who has changed to importing NZ compliant chargers (no adaptor needed), and is supplying these free to earlier customers who were sold devices with non compliant chargers and adaptors. This tells us it's not difficult, and not expensive to supply safe chargers.
@Jackic
We want to see safe electrical products supplied by online traders. That's out of touch? As above - it's neither difficult nor expensive to supply the correct chargers for NZ.
Hamish Wilson
Research and Testing manager
You can't be serious. Products that arrive with adaptors are parallel imported, often. I have a Sony Camcorder, a parallel import, that was over $100.00 cheaper than buying from an "authorised" dealer, and, of course, has an adaptor on the Asian plug. Furthermore, we all carry adaptors with us for our NZ/Aus plugs when we travel overseas. A bit of care is required, is all.