19 Feb

EESS REGULATORY MARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR IN-SCOPE PLUG AND CORD OR CORDSET

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT SAFETY SYSTEM (EESS) REGULATORY MARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR IN-SCOPE PLUG AND CORD, or CORDSET (PLUG OR APPLIANCE PLUG / CORD / APPLIANCE CONNECTOR)

The following regulatory marking requirements are to apply to in-scope plug and cord or cordset within the Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS) under the use of alternate regulatory marking provisions of EESS legislation.

1/ Plug and cord sold with other equipment

Regulatory marking requirement for a plug and cord attached to other equipment is as follows:
i) The in-scope electrical equipment (“the equipment”) the plug and cord is supplied with will need to be marked with the RCM.
ii) The equipment will need to be registered to the responsible supplier on the EESS database according to the equipment risk level.*
*as per current legislative requirement the responsible supplier of the registered equipment does not need to separately register the plug / cord, just ensure they have records of the plug / cord they supply and that the plug / cord has current certification.
The equipment registration process is summarized as:-
o If level 3 equipment – responsible supplier is registered, level 3 equipment is certified and registered to the responsible supplier;
o If level 2 equipment – responsible supplier is registered, level 2 equipment type, brand and model is registered to the responsible supplier and the responsible supplier has test report(s) to relevant standard and compliance folder;
o If level 1 equipment – responsible supplier is registered, level 1 equipment type and brand is registered to responsible supplier (noting also supplier can voluntarily add model numbers to assist in validating equipment registration for when their clients search the registration database) and responsible supplier has access to evidence the equipment complies with relevant standard.
iii) The plug and cord may be marked with the RCM, but if not they will need to have the certification marking aligning with the certificate issued for that component, and have markings of the brand and model identifiable for each component.
iv) A cord marked in accordance with the CENELEC HAR marking scheme is acceptable and in that situation the cord does not require Australian certification, an Australian certification mark, or the RCM.
The responsible supplier can then sell the equipment with the plug and cord connected to equipment without the plug or cord being marked with the RCM.

2/ Cordset sold with other equipment

Regulatory marking requirement for a cordset (plug or appliance plug / cord / appliance connector) sold with other equipment is as follows:
i) The in-scope electrical equipment (“the equipment”) the cordset is supplied with will need to be marked with the RCM.
ii) The equipment the cordset is supplied with will need to be registered to the responsible supplier on the EESS database according to the equipment risk level.*
*as per current legislative requirement the responsible supplier of the registered equipment does not need to separately register the cordset, or its components, supplied with the equipment, just ensure they have records of the plug or appliance plug / cord /appliance connector they supply and that the plug or appliance plug / cord / appliance connector have current certification.
The equipment registration process is summarized as:-
o If level 3 equipment – responsible supplier is registered, level 3 equipment is certified and registered to the responsible supplier;
o If level 2 equipment – responsible supplier is registered, level 2 equipment type, brand and model is registered to the responsible supplier and the responsible supplier has test report(s) to the relevant standard and compliance folder;
o If level 1 equipment – responsible supplier is registered, level 1 equipment type and brand is registered to responsible supplier (noting also supplier can voluntarily add model numbers to assist in validating equipment registration for when their clients search the registration database) and responsible supplier has access to evidence the equipment complies with the relevant standard.
iii) The plug or appliance plug, cord, appliance connector components may be individually marked with the RCM, but if not they will need to have the certification marking aligning with the certificate issued for that component, and have markings of the brand and model identifiable for each component.
iv) A cord marked in accordance with the CENELEC HAR marking scheme is acceptable and in that situation the cord does not require Australian certification, an Australian certification mark, or the RCM.
v) In this instance (cordset sold with other equipment) the overall cordset is not required to have an individual brand and model/part number marked on the cordset (although it is advised to have such identification similar to that explained in point 4/ of this document).
The responsible supplier can then sell the equipment with the cordset supplied with the equipment without the plug or appliance plug, cord or appliance connector being marked with the RCM.

3/ Plug and cord sold separate to other equipment

In this instance, the plug and cord is a Plug (level 3 equipment) with an attached cord. Regulatory marking requirement for a plug and cord sold separately to other equipment is as follows
i) There needs to be one RCM mark on the plug or the cord at some location (either on the plug or the cord or on an attached tag).
ii) The other component does not need to have the RCM marked, so long as it has the certification marking aligning with the certificate issued for that component, and has markings of the brand and model identifiable for that component.
iii) The plug will need to be registered to the responsible supplier on the EESS database.*
* The equipment registration process is summarized as:-
o Responsible supplier is registered, plug is certified and registered to the responsible supplier. The cord does not need to be separately registered to the responsible supplier, the responsible supplier just needs to have records of the cord supplied and ensure it has current certification
iv) A cord marked in accordance with the CENELEC HAR marking scheme is acceptable and in that situation the cord does not require Australian certification, an Australian certification mark, or the RCM. The responsible supplier can then sell the plug and cord.

4/ Cordset sold separate to other equipment

The cordset is level 1 electrical equipment. Regulatory marking requirement for a cordset (plug or appliance plug / cord / appliance connector) sold separately to other equipment is as follows
i) There needs to be one RCM mark on the cordset at some location (either on the plug or appliance plug, the cord, or the appliance connector, or on an attached tag).
ii) The brand and model of the cordset needs to be clearly identifiable.
o Where the brand (name, trade mark or identification mark) of each component of the cordset is the same then the brand marking on the component qualifies as having the brand of the cordset clearly identifiable. The model number may be a model number or part number on the cordset, on a tag or sleeve provided around the cordset, or on the packaging of the corset.

o Where the components of the cordset are not the same brand then the cordset is required to be marked with either the name, trade mark or identification mark to identify the brand. The marking of the name, trade mark or identification mark may for example be applied on a tag or sleeve provided around the cordset. The model number may be a model number or part number on the cordset, on a tag or sleeve provided around the cordset, or on the packaging of the cordset.
o Note: there is no specific Australian standard for cordsets, however the above brand marking requirements align with identification marking of IEC 60799 Electrical accessories – cordsets and interconnection cordsets.
iii) Specific individual components do not need to have the RCM marked, so long as they have the certification marking aligning with the certificate issued for that component, and have markings of the brand and model identifiable for each component.
iv) The cordset set will need to be registered to the responsible supplier on the EESS database.*
* The equipment registration process is summarized as:-
o responsible supplier is registered, level 1 equipment type and brand is registered to responsible supplier (noting also supplier can voluntarily add model number of cordset to assist in validating equipment registration for when their clients search the registration database) and responsible supplier has access to evidence the equipment complies with the relevant standard. The plug or appliance plug, cord and appliance connector do not need to be separately registered to the responsible supplier, the responsible supplier just needs to have records of the components supplied and ensure they have current certification.
v) A cord marked in accordance with the CENELEC HAR marking scheme is acceptable and in that situation the cord does not require Australian certification, an Australian certification mark, or the RCM. The responsible supplier can then sell the cordset.
The above alternate regulatory marking allowance does not mean each component cannot be marked with the RCM, all components may be marked with the RCM by the responsible supplier if the supplier prefers to do so (subject to all requirements for use of the RCM and other markings of brand and model being complied with).
This alternate regulatory marking allowance is issued by the undersigned as a delegate of the Regulator, and will remain in force until revoked by a person with relevant powers or delegations to do so.
Brian Richardson
Director Equipment Safety & Licensing
Queensland Electrical Safety Office
18/02/2016

 

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