This news item seeks to clarify misleading information in the marketplace regarding the acceptance of safety certificates for Australian compliance and the EESS.

ASA (Australian Safety Approval) is one of many private certifiers registered under the JAS-ANZ Product Certification Scheme to ISO 17065 for issuing product safety approval certificates under Australian and New Zealand product safety legislation and is gazetted under New South Wales law as a Recognised External Approvals Scheme (REAS).  The bulk of existing Level 3 Certificates of Conformity issued in Australia have been issued under this scheme.

Queensland Recognised External Certification Schemes (RECS) is a newer, competing safety certification scheme, now recognised in Victoria.

ASA has held back on applying to become a RECS, hoping the States responsible for the administration of the REAS and RECS schemes could find consensus moving forward, given both schemes have the common goal of safety to consumers.  An orderly harmonisation of the two schemes would have minimised the cost and workload to private certifiers, manufacturers and importers.

To ensure access to the EESS for future safety approval certificate applications, ASA has commenced the application process to become a RECS.  This will continue to allow ASA to directly upload certificates to the EESS database.  Responsible suppliers can in turn link to the certificates.

Subject to caveats, ESV will allow continued upload of our REAS certificates until 1 April 2020, which by that time, ASA will have concluded the RECS application process.

ASA certificates will continue to meet the mandatory electrical safety requirements for RCM compliance of level 3 electrical equipment.

The following link from Energysafe Victoria, provides further information.

https://www.esv.vic.gov.au/technical-information/electrical-appliances-and-equipment/eess-legislation-and-regulations/recognition-in-victoria/

For questions or safety approval certificate applications, please email info@australiansafetyapproval.com