Legal Requirements for Electrical Products
Electrical safety law is different in each state and territory in Australia, and in New Zealand.
All electrical equipment must comply with the safety criteria of AS/NZS 3820 Essential safety requirements for low voltage electrical equipment. This standard sets out the principles of electrical safety and requires compliance with the relevant Australian/New Zealand safety standard for each class of product.
Some electrical equipment – variously known as declared, prescribed or Level 3 in the EESS – must be approved and certified, prior to sale, and must be marked with the approval certification number or be marked with the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM). It is an offence for a person to sell declared/prescribed/level 3 electrical equipment unless the electrical equipment has been approved and certified.
In states where the RCM is mandatory, any household products must comply with the requirements for electrical equipment set out in the AS/NZS 4417 series of standards.
Non-declared electrical equipment does not have to have electrical safety approval certification prior to sale, but you have a legal obligation to ensure equipment is electrically safe. It is an offence for a person to sell non-declared electrical products unless the electrical product complies with the relevant Australian standard.
- CE marking and certification is not recognised in Australia or New Zealand.
- To ensure the equipment complies with the Australian national differences, IECEE CB test reports and certificates will be required to be assessed by the Australian NCB (SAI Global) or a Recognised Testing Authority (RTA).