Retailer’s role in electrical safety
Code of Conduct for the retail sale of electrical installation products to the public.
A Code of Conduct has been developed for the sale of electrical installation products to the public.
In this code of conduct ‘electrical equipment’ relates to both electrical accessories such as plugs, cord extension sockets, light switches and junction boxes and fixed wired electrical appliances such as ceiling fans, light fittings, split system air conditioners or stoves and ovens.
The code uses conditions set out in the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (PDF, 788 KB) that can be voluntarily adopted as ‘best industry practice’ to improve electrical safety for workers and for customers.
Your obligations as a supplier
As a supplier of electrical equipment, you have a legal obligation under the Act to ensure electrical safety.
You must ensure electrical equipment you sell is accompanied by information about its safe electrical use, including the installation of the equipment.
Informing your customers
To comply with legislation, you can:
- provide customers with accurate advice;
- display informative point of sale material; and
- develop informative advertising.
Provide customers with accurate advice
Don’t let comments like this go unremarked:
- It’s too expensive to employ an electrician; I’ll do it myself.
- It’s easy. I can do it.
- It’s not dangerous.
You need to remind customers that electricity is dangerous and that’s why there are laws restricting who works with it. It is illegal to do electrical work in Queensland without an electrical licence.
Advise your customer that they will need a suitably licensed electrical contractor to connect or install their electrical equipment.
Ensure your staff is adequately trained and aware of the legal requirements so that they can provide accurate, responsible and electrically safe advice.
Display informative point of sale material
Use the posters, brochures and warnings that often come with electrical goods to remind your customers that they are dealing with a potential health hazard – electricity.
Display posters and brochures near displays of electrical accessories such as wall switches, electrical cables and socket outlets.
Most Australian manufacturers include warnings on individual packaged items about the need to use a licensed person to install the product. Make sure that warning is present. If it’s not, request suitable electrical safety information from the supplier.
Use technology at point-of-sale to inform customers about electrical safety. Some technology provides retail staff with electronic prompts to pass information on to customers buying specific products. Other technology provides the ability to print notices reinforcing safety messages on sales dockets.
Develop informative advertising
When electrical equipment is advertised for sale to the public, either in print or electronic media, a prominent statement should be included, advising that electrical equipment requires installation by a licensed electrical contractor.
Customers also have a role to play in promoting electrical safety.
Last updated August 2, 2005
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