Around 40,000 households and businesses at risk

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a national safety recall on faulty Infinity-branded cables, with around 40,000 households and businesses are at risk as this cable may become brittle from 2016 onwards. Suppliers have been asked to assess and work on the oldest or highest risk installations first.

Testing has found that the cables will degrade prematurely and, if the cables are disturbed, the insulation could break and expose live conductors, resulting in possible electric shock or fires, said ACCC Chairman Rod Sims. All sizes and configurations of white TPS and Orange Round Infinity mains power cables are affected.

The cables were sold from 2010-2013 (NSW), 2011-2013 (ACT), 2012-2013 (Vic, Qld, SA and WA) and in 2013 (Tas) through a number of groups including Masters Home Improvement, Mitre 10 and John Danks & Sons (trading as Home Timber & Hardware, Plants Plus and Thrifty-Link Hardware). 

Olsent power cables sourced from Infinity Cable Co and solely supplied by Masters Home Improvement are also affected. Nineteen electrical retailers and wholesalers have recalled Infinity cables after they failed electrical safety standards due to poor-quality plastic insulation coating. 

ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said: “Consumers should not attempt to inspect cables themselves. The taskforce found there is no immediate danger but careful steps should be taken by a licensed electrical contractor to avoid electric shock or fires from occurring in coming years.”

“We also urge electricians and builders to alert their consumers and their cable supplier if they have installed Infinity cables,” Rickard said.

Householders and businesses that have had electrical wiring work carried out during the relevant periods need to contact the responsible builder, electrical contractor or appliance installer to confirm whether an Infinity cable was used. If so, the cable supplier needs to arrange for an inspection of wiring and remediation of any installed Infinity cable that they supplied, free of charge to the consumer. Any affected cable installed in accessible areas or near heat sources must be removed and replaced under the safety recall. Inspection costs are not recoverable from cable suppliers if an Infinity cable was not installed or if the cable installer and the supplier cannot be determined. Any unused or removed Infinity cable should be returned to the cable supplier for a full refund or replacement.

In addition to the safety recall by wholesalers and retailers, state or territory building or electrical safety regulation may also apply in relation to the quality of the installed Infinity cable. 

Sims said that “this recall serves as a reminder that companies sourcing or accepting products from less expensive overseas suppliers must have quality assurance processes in place to ensure the safety of consumers”.

“Consumers usually know that the better the bargain, the more wary they need to be; consumers would expect companies selling such goods to be wary on their behalf,” Sims said.

The cables were supplied in small quantities by a number of smaller suppliers. Individual state and ACT agencies are in contact with those suppliers and those recall arrangements will be announced separately by those agencies.