ACI supports Does it Comply?

The Approved Cables Initiative (ACI) is backing 'Does it Comply?' a campaign to educate and inform contractors, installers and specifiers to the damaging consequences from the trade in non-compliant product.

Led by BEAMA, LIA, GAMBICA, ESCO and ACI, and supported by Voltimum, the campaign aims to raise non-compliant product issues with stakeholders including the electrical supply chain and the general public.

In November 2014, Voltimum set out to establish how the UK electrical industry perceives compliance, surveying more than 900 installers and contractors. Over 70% of respondents believed they had seen substandard products in the market place, whilst 39% revealed they would consider purchasing a device they weren’t sure was compliant.

“Asking whether a product does comply each time you do business eliminates the risk that you could be inadvertently purchasing or installing non-compliant product”, said Eddie Embleton, managing director Voltimum UK & Ireland Ltd.

“Installing unsafe, non-compliant equipment in error can be a costly mistake. Aside from the cost to your business of repeating the work, any house fires or electric shocks arising out of the use of non-compliant product could cause loss of life or property damage. This may result in legal liabilities to electrical contractors who install these products, and the manufacturers or distributors who sell them.”

Peter Smeeth of the Approved Cables Initiative said: “These results supported our own understanding of the issues in the cable supply chain and highlighted the availability of substandard electrical products to purchase in the UK.

“With almost three quarters of respondents reporting availability of either `a lot’ or `some’ substandard products to buy, distributors, importers and contractors need to be more diligent for they are responsible for what is imported, sold and installed in the UK.”

More information on the `Does it Comply?’ campaign can be found at www.doesitcomply.co.uk

For further information about the ACI campaign visit www.aci.org.uk or contact the ACI directly at info@aci.org.uk or on 0208 946 6978/07973 636688.