THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 4 Number 10 | July 2014
NEWS
03
AFTERMATH OF A NURSE’S DEATH
Crackdown on trade of faulty electrical items
AUTHORITIES stepped up its campaign to stop the trade of unapproved and
substandard electrical articles following the recent death of a Filipina nurse in Gosford
who was apparently electrocuted because of a faulty USB charger.
MINISTER for Fair Trading
Mathew Mason-Cox recently
warned the public not to use any
unapproved declared electrical
articles and for retailers and importers to ensure any products
they import or sell are approved
and compliant with Australian
standards.
Mr Mason-Cox said NSW
Fair Trading had seized a number of unapproved travel adaptors from a store in Bankstown
and Haymarket recently.
“Fair Trading investigators
attended a store in Bankstown
after receiving a tip off about
dangerous USB chargers being
sold,” he said.
“They found unapproved
travel adaptors during that inspection and warned the business to remove all unapproved
products from sale.
“Similar unapproved travel
adaptors were found on sale at
a store in Haymarket today and
seized, with the business warned
to remove all approved products
from sale. Investigations into
both businesses continue.
Earlier in Campsie, Fair
Trading investigators removed
from sale a number of unapproved and non-compliant USB
style chargers, travel adaptors
and power boards at a stall and
mobile phone accessory shop.
The trader at Campsie faces possible prosecution. Maximum penalties are $87,500 and/
or two years imprisonment for
an individual and $875,000 for
a corporation.
“Anyone importing or selling electrical products must
be aware that they may be putting lives at risk if they sell unapproved products,” the Minister said.
Consumers in possession of
unapproved and non-compliant USB style chargers, typically
used to charge phones and tablets, are advised to bend the pins
on the chargers and dispose of
them immediately.
As a general safety rule, consumers are also advised not to
use any devices while they are
plugged in and charging.
Anyone with information
about the purchase of any unapproved and non-compliant electrical or gas products should contact Fair Trading on 13 32 20.
A sad death…
THE
death of Filipino-Australian nurse Sheryl Aldeguer, 28,
attracted international media attention. The life of one hopeful
migrant mum was ended all because of what appeared to be
a harmless piece of charger.
BUT her story sparked public interest because chargers,
including substandard ones,
have become a very ordinary
tool that almost everyone uses every day. A faulty electrical item can be fatal. She was
found wearing headphones and
holding her laptop, with burns
on her ears and chest, accord-
ing to a Sydney Morning Herald report.
In Facebook, a page ‘RIP
Sheryl Aldeguer’ has