Press Release

 

 

Household electrical products to have safety certification

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The Government will gazette tomorrow (May 26) the Electricity Ordinance (Cap. 406) (Commencement) Notice 2000, the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation (Cap. 406 Sub. Leg.) (Commencement) Notice 2000 and the Electrical Products (Safety) (Amendment) Regulation 2000 (L.N. 77 of 2000) (Commencement) Notice 2000.

According to the Notices, the provisions in the Electricity Ordinance (section 29(1)(b)) and the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation (sections 7 and 8) relating to safety certification of household electrical products will come into operation on December 1, 2000.

A Government spokesman said it would be an offence to supply a household electrical product without "certificate of safety compliance" required by the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation.

He said: "The certificate of safety compliance is a document to certify that a household electrical product meets the requirements of the Regulation.

"This Regulation requires all suppliers, including manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers, to ensure that the products they supply comply with the prescribed safety requirements set out in the Regulation.

"They will need to satisfy themselves that a certificate of safety compliance has been issued in respect of the product that they are supplying.

"The certificate of safety compliance requirements have been the subject of consultation by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) with the electrical product trade and real estate developers, who are major suppliers of electrical products with premises.

"Starting from the commencement date, the EMSD will conduct random inspections to check whether electrical products in the market are covered by such certificates."

He noted that the certificate of safety compliance was not a document to be supplied to the consumer with every electrical product sold.

"With the coming into operation of the Electrical Products (Safety) (Amendment) Regulation on December 1, electrical products which are exempt from the Regulation will include those supplied with premises, except where they are supplied with a new premises the first time it is disposed of before its first occupation," the spokesman added.

End/Thursday, May 25, 2000

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