Inconsistent cable recall reveals failures in safety laws

The recall of Infinity brand electrical cables in New South Wales - but not in any other Australian states - is putting homeowners at serious risk of fire or electric shock, Master Electricians Australia (MEA) claims.

The NSW Office of Fair Trading (OFT) last week issued a recall for Infinity-branded flat TPS or ‘orange round’ electrical cable, after testing concluded there were “deficiencies in the manufacturing of Infinity cables”. It warned the deterioration of the cables’ insulation could cause wires to become exposed and potentially result in an electric shock or fire.

The recall does not apply in any other Australian states or territories, however, and the cable is likely to have been used in thousands of homes and commercial buildings. State governments’ failure to act indicates that they have put the issue in the “too-hard basket”, MEA says.

“While NSW has recalled some Infinity branded cable sold through the Masters Home Improvement chain, there are serious questions about why other states have failed to act. This has highlighted a series of very worrying failures in Australia’s electrical safety laws,” said MEA Chief Executive Malcolm Richards.

According to Richards, the most concerning aspects of the recall include:

• The fact that NSW initially found the cable to be faulty, but could only issue a warning rather than a recall as the company placed itself into receivership.
• While this was eventually upgraded to a compulsory recall in NSW, other states have so far failed to follow suit.
• The cable was not required to be tested to ensure it complied with Australian standards before being sold to consumers.
• Homeowners and electrical contractors who purchased the cable will not be able to recoup the costs of removing and replacing the dangerous equipment.
• Other varieties of Infinity cable - made in the same factory - may also be faulty but have not been tested.

In addition, Richards says, there is no record of where the cable has been installed and by whom as it was sold through the retail chain Masters Home Improvement.

“In any safety recall, it is difficult to locate and secure every single piece of potentially faulty equipment. This will be made even more difficult in this case by the reluctance of other state regulators to act decisively to support the NSW action,” Richards said.

Questions have also been raised over who will bear the cost of removing and replacing the faulty cable. If used in construction, it may cost several thousand dollars to replace a $50 piece of cabling.

“But if it is not removed, it will be a ticking time bomb in the roof spaces of affected homes for the next 20 years. As the insulation deteriorates in hot ceiling conditions, it will only need a touch from a homeowner or contractor - perhaps many years from now - in order for a fatality to occur,” Richards said.

“In the first instance, Master Electricians Australia calls on the other states to follow the NSW lead and get this dangerous product off the shelves.

“However, we must also see a real effort by all states to support a genuine recall - one which addresses the costs of removing and replacing this dangerous material. If nothing is done today, then homes and lives are almost certain to be lost in the years ahead.”