The Australian Cablemakers Association (ACA) has urged the new Victorian State Government to act urgently to address the risk to life and property caused by the recalled ECABLES products.
ACA Chairman Andrew Davenport has written to Premier Daniel Andrews and Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio warning them of the serious and complex electrical safety issue they had inherited, and calling for urgent action.
A voluntary trade recall has been issued for Ecables Copper Clad Aluminium RE 110 Insulated power cables, after testing showed the insulation would melt at its approved operating temperature – exposing live conductors and creating a serious risk of fire or electrical shock.
However, the recall does not mandate the removal of the faulty product, which has been used widely in Victoria for major projects such as apartment buildings, hotels and commercial installations.
In his letters to the new Minister and Premier, Mr Davenport urges them to order the complete removal of all the dangerous product.
“ACA believes this insulation failure is even more dangerous and concerning than the recently recalled Infinity and Olsent cables,” Mr Davenport said.
“This is not a situation of this Government’s making, but it is one that must be dealt with as a matter of the highest priority.
“We believe the situation warrants a complete recall, and a high-profile public safety campaign to create awareness of the dangers among apartment and property owners, to prompt them to check with their electrical contractors about whether this product has been used.
“We also ask for more transparency from the state regulators about precisely how much of the product has been sold, and how much has been installed. At this stage it is very difficult to gauge the extent of the problem, although we do know that most of the product was sold in Victoria over two and a half years between January 2012 and June 2014.
“Property owners in Victoria deserve to know that their premises are safe, and that their lives won’t be put at risk by dangerous electrical cable. However, without a mandatory and complete recall, this problem will remain in place to become a major danger in years to come.”
“We understand that the new government will have many pressing issues and priorities on its plate. However, this issue relates to the safety of life and property, and this is the reason we believe it must be addressed very promptly.”
