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A united front against the threat of counterfeit electrical installation products
30th June 2009
Counterfeiting was a hot topic for discussion at our inaugural International Product Safety Conference last year. Since then, we have been considering how best to translate the outputs from the conference into practical and effective action to support industry and to develop our agenda for future campaigning activities in this area.
In April, as a starting point for delivering on this commitment, we invited senior representatives from the electrical installation industry, enforcement organisations and central government to take part in a round-table event to debate how all our efforts could be united to better tackle the global problem of counterfeit and non-compliant electrical installation products.
The event was chaired by Ron Gainsford, Chief Executive of the Trading Standards Institute, who welcomed participants representing the following organisations:
- British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC)
- British Cables Association
- British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers' Association (BEAMA)
- Electrical Contractors’ Association
- Electrical Safety Council
- Intertek
- Lighting Industry Federation
- SELECT
- The Alliance Against IP Theft
- The Intellectual Property Office
- Trading Standards
Our intention in opening the debate was to initiate a process towards a long-lasting strategy which would mobilize both industry and public authorities to jointly combat counterfeiting and non-compliant products.
It provided a great opportunity to explore ways to build upon the good work already initiated through the Electrical Installation Industry Charter* and to combine expertise and resources to further the agenda and to reinforce the need to unite our efforts. As the dangers of counterfeit and sub-standard electrical products are well rehearsed, it was important for the debate to move the agenda forward by focusing on what is being done, and what else can be done, to address the problem.
Therefore, the object of the debate was to:
- establish a view on the effectiveness of existing anti-counterfeiting measures and to consider what more can be done by industry, legislators and enforcers to combat counterfeiting
- consider how areas of specific concern can be addressed, in particular the growing trade of counterfeit goods over the internet and the validity of CE marking when applied to electrical installation products
- consider how we can best support those parts of the supply chain we represent to tackle the threat of counterfeiting
- identify areas where joint actions can be taken to drive out this illegal trade in support of the Electrical Installation Industry Charter, and to improve consumer safety.
The debate culminated in proposals that are likely to result in the Electrical Safety Council taking a leading role in mapping a way forward on actions to:
raise the profile and priority of the issues on the political stage
establish a central ‘hub’ of information on counterfeit activity to better co-ordinate intelligence-led operations
co-ordinate public relations campaigns to raise awareness of the potential pitfalls of the trade in counterfeiting to industry and consumers.
David Dossett, immediate Past Chairman of the Electrical Safety Council and Chief Executive of BEAMA, said: “I was very pleased to see the Electrical Safety Council take the initiative by bringing together key stakeholders to explore ways in which we can all work together to address the problem of counterfeiting.
The distribution of electrical products not complying with safety standards represents a very real danger to goods, property and people’s safety. Up to 15% of world trade is thought to be in counterfeit goods and in some cases this may be used to help finance other criminal activity.
For these reasons, we must all take practical and effective actions to counter the threat from counterfeit and non-compliant electrical products. It is in everyone’s interest that the electrical industry and others unite to tackle this global problem.” The event also served as an opportunity for participants to add their support to the Electrical Installation Industry Charter. New signatories to the Charter included the Trading Standards Institute, the Alliance Against IP Theft, and Intertek.
The facts about counterfeit electrical products
The market in counterfeit watches, designer clothes, CDs and DVDs has enjoyed widespread publicity. But the market in counterfeit electrical installation products is far more serious because it may involve risk to life.
Some products, for example fuses and circuit-breakers, are intended to provide electrical protection, so it is essential that they function correctly. Others products, like wiring accessories, switches, cables and controlgear, perform a more functional role but safety in use is vital, along with reliability and performance.
Counterfeit electrical products are almost always substandard, posing a risk of harm to consumers and installers alike.
Counterfeiters are able to copy the external appearance of an electrical product and its packaging fairly well, but the internal design, materials or chemical composition may be significantly different from the genuine product and could pose serious dangers.
Annually, an estimated £30m worth of counterfeit electrical products reach the UK.
It is believed that more than 95% of counterfeit electrical installation products originate in China.
Since 2000, BEAMA has seen over 200 factories in China raided and over 10 million products seized together with their packaging and tooling.
