Opinion: Australian Electrical Compliance – The Lost Symbol

Phil Hawkins muses on Russian electrons, physics, and electrical compliance...
A decade ago, I was in Singapore at a manufacturer's conference having a refreshment with one of my colleagues at the end of a long first day. The brand's Singapore distributor was at the adjacent table meeting with another of his suppliers, who it turned out was a loudspeaker cable manufacturer. I can't recall the brand now, but the cable guy, who was Russian, invited us to sit with them and duly delivered yet another sermon on his products…
"We don't carry a cable brand at the moment," I told him. "We never saw the value to our business." The Russian guy replied, "Ah, you should reconsider. These are the highest quality in the world." My colleague asked, "How would we compare them against the competition in Australia?" The answer came: "No need. These are made from Russian copper. Best in the world!"
As we attempted to determine what possible differences there could be between copper extracted from a Russian mine versus Australia, Brazil, or anywhere else in the world, the conversation degenerated into a farce. "Maybe the copper electrons are lighter in Russia, or they have more bounce!", my colleague laughed. Our two friends grumpily waved us away, and we evaporated into the night. "It's as if the laws of physics don't apply in his world. A parallel atomic universe," I said…
You might laugh, but we see other examples today of companies that believe in alternate realities in the market. In 1992, the Radiocommunications Act was legislated in Australia, updating standards and laws governing radio communications, TV broadcasting and the relatively new technology of mobile phones. With so much competition for the frequency spectrum, the standards that all must abide by had to be amended.
In the late nineties, a certification was introduced by ACMA (Australian Communications Media Authority) known as 'C-Tick', which imposed standards on all electrical manufacturers and importers. Any appliance or device, like an amplifier or television, that operates due to charged particles such as electrons (Russian or otherwise!) and protons buzzing around will produce varying degrees of electromagnetic radiation which can interfere with other devices, including radiocommunications equipment. Think of how a mobile phone elicits noise or beeps near a powered speaker.
The onus here was on the importer to ensure that the equipment was compliant. This happened in two ways; the manufacturer produced test reports on the product's electromagnetic conformity, sent them to the importer and affixed the C-tick logo to the product in the factory. Alternatively, at their own expense, the importer would have the product tested within Australia by a certified company, obtain test reports and locally affix the C-tick sticker to the rear panel or an appropriate place on the goods.
In 2013 the A-tick marking for radio and telecommunications effectively merged with the C-tick to form the Regulatory Compliance Mark, or RCM. Hence, this standard encompasses numerous mandatory standards within Australia and New Zealand.
At the same time, a new regulatory framework called Electrical Equipment Safety System emerged. The body that oversees this is concerned with radiocommunications, telecommunications, electromagnetic compatibility, electromagnetic radiation, and electrical safety – quite an array of standards. The penalties to companies for non-compliance range from $18,000 to $270,000 per breach, depending on the severity. Manufacturers and importers had a three-year grace period to sell out all their C-tick-engraved inventory, which ended in 2016.
RCM logo shown on the rear panel.
Yet here we are, almost a generation after the creation of the C-tick standard and seven years after its metamorphosis into RCM – and there are still companies exporting here with no RCM logo on their goods. They think they live in an isolated universe where the laws of physics, and the laws of the land, don't apply to them. I have seen amplifiers, powered computer speakers, and streaming devices that bear neither the RCM logo nor the old C-tick.
If the importers are comfortable with that, and seek local compliance for every such model, keep copies of test reports, and label the goods with the RCM mark appropriately before retail sale, then no harm is done. This cost is borne out of their margin, leading to slightly higher prices for the consumer, but at least their products are compliant. The problem is, however, when there are multiple importers of the same product or when the manufacturer sells and ships directly to consumers, which we are seeing more often now, and the importer doesn't take any responsibility. That's when we have potential violations of electrical safety, as well as electromagnetic standards.
While the responsibility of ensuring products purchased in good faith from a retail outlet are electrically compliant should not fall on the consumer, such tools do exist. The NSW Fair Trading provides a searchable 'Approved Electrical Articles Register', for example. Retailers should ensure they're not stocking or importing uncertified products and that their suppliers (the importers) are either obtaining local compliance or confident that the manufacturer has taken the necessary steps and achieved compliance.
We were made aware of an example recently where a product being sold in Australia was being imported by two different importers. There's nothing wrong with that, but one of the importers had paid for local compliance at their own expense, while the other, riding on the coattails of the other, wholly disregarded compliance requirements. Assuming both products come from the exact same factory, it could be assumed that products from either supply chain comply, but that would be risky. Consumers should check their products for the relevant RCM marking and ask the retailer to confirm compliance, preferably in writing.
Safety is no laughing matter, and standards exist for a good reason. While protecting our homes and loved ones is the key here, no one would want an insurance claim rejected because it was found that a non-compliant product caused an electrical fire, either.
RCM logo shown on the rear panel.
The good news is that most of the more prominent Australian distributors and importers also understand the importance of compliance and go to great lengths to ensure the legalities are checked before making the products available. So our advice to consumers is, don't be afraid to ask the question and to even ask for proof. Oh, and of course, only buy products from this universe!
Does Your Power Cord Comply Discussion Topic

Marc Rushton
StereoNET’s Founder and Publisher was born in England and raised on British Hi-Fi before moving to Australia. He developed an early love of music and playing bass guitar before discovering the studio and the other side of the mixing desk. After writing for print magazines, Marc saw the future in digital publishing and founded the first version of StereoNET in 1999.
JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION
Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message
Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP
Trending
applause awards
Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.
Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.
The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.
We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.