Approved Cables Initiative

Our aim is to stop sub-standard, non-approved or dangerous cable entering the UK market

Presentation to the Anti-Counterfeiting Group

19th February 2015

Approved Cables Initiative An industry-wide working group established to address the issue of unsafe, non-approved and non-

compliant cable entering the UK marketplaceWe exist because:

• Standards are not adhered to

• Too few checks on imported cables (70% of cable sold in UK is imported; ACI estimates half is not to standard)

• Contractors have little interest in standards while some distributors encourage the manufacturer of `undersized cable’

• Inferior cable product is sold unmarked - making it untraceable and misuse of trade marks is common place

Our work is compromised because:

• Despite monitoring and informing Trading Standards and Health and Safety Executive of cable issues, Government cuts have led to limited resources and very little follow through

• ACI is `known’ to rogue distributors and wholesalers who avoid handing over cable for random testing

• Once reported Trading Standards cases become `confidential’ meaning follow-up market surveillance is essential to ensure future compliance

Approved Cables InitiativeAn industry-wide working group established to address the issue of unsafe, non-approved and counterfeit

cable entering the UK marketplace

What we do:

• Work with Government, agencies and stakeholder groups who can help

• Communicate sub-standard and non-compliant cable issues as and when they happen, wherever they happen

• Manage our own testing of suspect cable

• Get closer to all stakeholders within the supply chain

• Taking our work into the public arena where appropriate - highlighting the health and safety issues If standards are not followed they become redundant

We want:

• Cable installed in UK to be compliant with relevant standards

• To put pressure on commercial property insurers to `push’ for more standards-led installations

• Cable to be independently third party approved

• Better control over cable imports at the point or place of entry.

Why we need change?

Risk to

Life

• Millions of metres of sub-standard cable already discovered • Sub-standard cable found installed in houses, schools, hospitals and other public buildings• Alarms that don’t sound, sprinklers that don’t activate, emergency light that doesn’t operate - ALL risk lives

Risk to

livelihoods

• Contractors are risking their livelihood by buying and installing non-approved cable• A costly mistake when contractors must make good where sub-standard cable is installed

Risk to UK

business

• Potential loss of business should a fire break out• Interruption to business continuity is a major insurance sector issue

Sub-standard cable - not just a UK problem - it is a worldwide concern

France, China, South Korea, India, the Middle East and Australia all reported issues with sub-

standard cable recently.

Some have better legislation for managing and controlling their imports:

From August 2014, the importation, entry, selling and/or display of non-complaint cables and low

voltage electrical wire into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is prohibited and only compliant products, having the necessary ESMA Certificate of Conformity, will be allowed into the country.

In Australia, this month a new product recall has resulted in the collapse of another cable importer and the collapse of Ecables Pty Ltd may leave contractors and building owners having to fund the removal of dangerous

cabling products themselves.

Last year Infinity and Olsent branded cables, which failed to meet Australian electrical

safety standards (due to poor quality plastic coating) resulted in a cable recall from

around 40,000 homes.

Woolworths faces a clean-up bill of $30 million to $60 million (£16-32 million) for its

role in the sale of these faulty electrical cable.

Our industry supporters

ACI communicates to its audiences through:

Tailored features

On and offline news

stories

An informati

ve website

Periodic e-

newsletters

By-lined articles

LinkedIn Group

Some of the topics featured in 2014/15

Trading standards cuts

and their impact on services to monitor non-

compliant products

Inadequate funding

responsible for poor electrical

safety enforcement

Raising awareness of

importers’ and distributors’ LVD responsibilities

Multi million pound

Australian substandard cable story

linking with the ACCC

How other countries better

managing substandard cable – AUS,

UAE

Removal of non-compliant cable from 370 Wilko

stories

Marketing activities

Literature

• Developed generic presentation material – `Confident in your cable choice’ including pull-up banners, hand-outs and a poster campaign

Events

• Attended conferences and events to promote the ACI message to other industry groups*

Presentations

• Visited the Far East – to meet with relevant parties to promote our concerns and share knowledge in the substandard cable fight

• In UK made presentations to NBG, FPA and Institute of Fire Safety Managers

Communicates with cable supply industry and member

associations as well as Electrical Safety

Roundtable/Electrical Safety First

Now focusing on Distributors and to launch an ACI wholesaler/distributor

scheme to encourage better practice within the industry

Communicates with Government, meeting as appropriate with relevant Ministers and MPs/MEPs

who share an interest and support the ACI’s work

Attends relevant conferences/events (Party

Conferences, relevant Select Committee Group

meetings, TSI Conference)

Communicates with other industry sectors to

share experience and knowledge – In particular the

construction, insurance and fire safety

industries – presentations and

meetings

ACI advises and informs stakeholders on sub-standard cables issues

*Working with peer groups

Electrical Safety First

(ESF) – Presence at November’s

Electrical Product Safety Conference

Electrical Safety Round

Table (ESR) – Supporting `Enforcement of Part P’

Attend Anti counterfeiting

Group meetings e.g. events such as today and last

year’s presentation by Mr Nil of Alibaba

Electro technical market

surveillance (EMS). Working with BEAMA, GAMBICA,

ESCO, LIF; supporting

Government lobbying on a

Strategy for Market Surveillance and Product Safety

Surveillance

• ACI sees its role evolving

• Adopting a more aggressive stance

• Checks on distributors’ sites

• Taking and testing of market samples

• Not losing site of its advisory and education role

• Supporting other industry initiatives to raise the substandard issue further

Get in touch+44 (0) 20 8946 6978

www.aci.org.uk

peter.smeeth@aci.org.uk