EnergySafe Magazine Spring 2014, issue 37 | Page 9

09

For all the latest energy safety news visit www.esv.vic.gov.au

Infinity Cable recall update

By Goran Sokoleski, Compliance Officer
On 27 August this year, the Australian
Consumer Competition Commission (ACCC)
announced a recall on various sizes and
configurations of TPS and Orange round
Infinity mains power cables. Olsent power
cables sourced from Infinity Cable Co Pty
Ltd were also included in the recall.
A total of 18 national suppliers were involved in
the recall and six suppliers in Victoria were identified
to have bought this product from Infinity Cables.
ESV advised Victorian electrical contractors
of the recall on 27 August via email. To view this
notification, click here or go to www.esv.vic.gov.
au/Portals/0/Alerts-and-Recalls/infinity.htm
Since the national recall, all Victorian suppliers
that had supplied the affected cables have
voluntarily recalled the product: They are:
»» ABC Ari an Electrical Suppliers
»» Norcab Electrical Wholesale
»» Titan Trading
»» Wholesale Electrical Supplies Pty Ltd
»» Phoenix Wholesalers
All 4 Tradies Pty Ltd had already completed
the recall on the cables they supplied.
L&O Technology, which initially advised ESV
that it had purchased cable from Infinity, has since
confirmed that it did not supply or install any of the
recalled products.
Electricians who installed this product should

contact any affected customers to advise of the recall.
Electricians may also receive calls from
customers inquiring if this product was used
at their premises.
Ecables non-compliance
And in a second recall relating to electrical
cable, ESV is investigating Ecables copper clad
aluminium (CCA) power cables with RE 110
elastomer insulation.
The issue identified to date is that the
insulation of the cables does not comply with the
requirements of AS/NZS 3808.
The non-compliance is due to the elastomer
insulation not being correctly cross-linked during
its manufacturing process and, when heated, the
insulation can soften and deform.
ESV is continuing with this investigation to
assess specific electrical safety risks involved
with this non-compliance.
Ecables is cooperating with ESV’s
investigation. The supplier stopped offering
the cable from the beginning of July 2014.

More information is available
at www.esv.vic.gov.au/
Electricity-Professionals/
Infinity-recall-informationfor-electricians

Spring 2014
energysafe issue 37

Don’t buy
cheap
electrical
goods
As Christmas approaches, ESV will be
running its annual awareness campaign
to remind Victorians of the need to
ensure electrical and gas appliances
they buy are approved and safe for use.
This year’s campaign includes radio
and online ads with the message “how
much are you willing to pay”.
This message is particularly relevant
this Christmas following the death in NSW
earlier this year of a woman who was using
a faulty USB charger that had not been
approved for use in Australia.
Always look for the regulatory
compliance mark on all electrical products to
ensure your family has a safe Christmas.

Christmas
office closure
ESV’s Southbank and Glen Waverley
offices will close for Christmas at 1pm on
Wednesday 24 December and will re-open
at 8.30am on 5 January, 2015. During this
time ESV staff will be available to respond
to gas and electrical emergencies.

New VPI lock
system introduced
By Simon O’Leary, Enforcement Officer
This year a new Victorian Power Industry
(VPI) lock was introduced by the Victorian
Service and Installation Rules (VSIR)
management committee.
The new VPI lock provides greater security
for building owners and tenants and also allows
stakeholders to have dedicated locks and key codes.
Electricians, builders, developers and other
relevant stakeholders can now purchase and
install keyed alike locks, effectively meaning they
will be able to have one key coded for their own
use for all the VPI locks installed at a particular site
or multiple sites.
This means that, essentially, a REC can
purchase multiple locks all keyed-alike for
individual or multiple sites and only require one key
type for all locks.
This system needs to be managed carefully by
building owners and managers as the registration
and allocation of a code means that the lock and
key code is owned by the original lock purchaser.

A card and number are issued with the lock
and this number will need to be quoted when
purchasing additional locks or keys. Should, for
example, a building change ownership, the card
would need to be passed on to the new owner
so that they have control over the locks coded
for that premises.
Under the new system, all occupants have
common rights of access to their occupancy’s

meter equipment, located in a group meter location
within a multiple occupancy electrical installation.

For additional information
regarding the new VPI
locking system, please go to
www.lockweb.com.au/vpil