Market surveillance on electrical equipment in Denmark UNECE FORUM ON MARKET SURVEILLANCE Session II: Practical experiences when implementing market surveillance on sectoral level II.1: Household electrical goods 29th October - Geneva Jan Roed Head of Market Surveillance and Standardisation Danish Electricity Council

Content How is Market Surveillance carried out in DK –About the Electricity Council –What triggers Market Surveillance –Basic elements –Use of statistic to make targeted surveillance –How to obtain statistical date –The most striking problems in the area of non-compliance What are the achievements of Market Surveillance Information exchange between Member States What are the shortcomings of Market Surveillance

Market Surveillance in Denmark The Electricity Council –One office located in Copenhagen –Responsibility of all electrical matters –54 employees in total –8 inspectors handle the practical Market Surveillance activities (directly related to electrical appliances)

Market Surveillance in Denmark Ministry of Economic and Enterprises The Electricity Council Instal- lations Standar- disation Autho- risation Market surveil- lance Utility grid

What triggers Market Surveillance? It is a de facto requirement from the LVD !! –Special Projects (i.e. Christmas lighting chains) –An accident (fire or electric shock) involving an electrical apparatus –A complaint (consumer/retailer/importer/manufacturer) –Random inspection –A notification under article 9 or via the RAPEX system from another EU Member State

Catch of data to produce statistic Fire and electric shock related to the use of electric apparatus and installations reported directly to the Electricity Council Data from Emergency rooms in hospitals in DK covering 14% of the population Reports from the police (fire and accidents) Report from the workers' safety agency (accidents which cause more than one day off work) Information from the press (newspaper etc)

Production of accident statistic For electric shock and arcs –100 % of all fatal accidents –serious accidents on work –14 % accidents by laymen For fires –all large fires (cost > €) –approx. 20% of smaller fires The production of the documents costs 3 man years!

Main findings from statistic Calculation of the cost of fire and electric shock for the society –Registered electric fires cost 82 Mio € –Estimated electric fires (from insurance companies and press) cost 400 Mio € –Electric shock and arcs cost 29 Mio € => In principle we should only look for products which have a risk of fire!!!

What causes the fires? Luminaires 12% Household appliances 37% Installations 25% Railways 1% Machinery 7% Utilities 3% Radio, TV, computers 15% Low Voltage Directive

Kettles Owens, stows Tumbler dryers Refrigerators and freezers Electrical radiator Toasters Hoovers and similar Hot air heaters Heating blankets and pads Washing machines Number of fires in year 2000 Which household appliances cause fire ?

Other apparatus causing fires Luminaires TV-set Machinery for production etc. Machinery for main- tenance of buildings Other apparatus Radio etc. Number of fires in year 2000

Reasons for fire Unknown 37% Loose connection 7% Wrong use of apparatus 26% Insulation 10% Old apparatus 10% Mist 6% Error in apparatus 1% Animals 3% Fixed installations Market Surveillance Information needed !!!!

Market Surveillance - basic elements A product is chosen Technical investigations Evaluation of the result in relation to LVD Article 2 Decision of measures to be taken Formal notification

How to choose a product Purchase the product in a shop Request samples from manufacturer or importer Border control - custom co-operation (not regarding EU or EEA countries)

Technical investigations Visual inspection Request of EC- declaration of conformity Test by Notified Body Metal lampholde r Lack of insulatio n Risk of shock

Evaluation of the result LVD Article 2, Electrical equipment may be placed on the market only if –It is constructed in accordance with good engineering practice in safety matters –It does not endanger the safety of persons, domestic animals or property It must be proven that the product is dangerous - not only that it do not comply with standards

Decision of measures to be taken If the product is immediately dangerous /risk of fire or shock or mechanical risk –sales ban & withdrawal from consumers via advertising in all major newspapers or in TV If the product is dangerous (one more foreseeable failure can make it immediately dangerous) –sales ban & withdrawal from retailer per year in DK per year in DK

If measures are taken, Denmark Notifies the other EU and EEA Member States –5-10 pages including pictures... Formal Notification

Formal notification (pictures) The same electronically controlled toaster, as it appears after an accident... Toaster - as it is sold in the shop...

Typical safety problems Lack of cable anchorage Insulation problems (too short distances - bad quality of insulation) Poor mechanical design (access to live parts without use of tools) Child appealing luminaires constructed to 230V Problems with thermal switches

Most striking problems

Enforcement is not only Market Surveillance DK tends to use more and more information campaigns on ”what to do” DK co-operates with Industry, importers, retailers and other stakeholders (information meetings) DK uses many resources on standardisation (5 man years and 1,5 Mio € per year for external help and translation of standards)

Achievements of Market Surveillance Looking into ”other risks” than fire and electric shock (mechanical risk and risk of hot surfaces of electrical consumer products) Eliminating the most dangerous products with regard to fire and electric shock Feedback to standardisation dept. and information dept. Looking into ”other risks” than fire and electric shock (mechanical risk and risk of hot surfaces of electrical consumer products) Eliminating the most dangerous products with regard to fire and electric shock Feedback to standardisation dept. and information dept.

Improvements in the practices More targeted and less random Market Surveillance Common projects with other countries Co-operation with custom authorities Use of notifications made by other countries

Information exchange between Member States DK notifi- cation Paper copy Denmark Sweden Finland Germany France Italy Spain …. Electronic version

LVD ADCO Member states meets twice every year Discussion on measures taken Alignment of decisions Coordination with the Commission Networking

Typical distribution of products

Origin of manufacturer for products

Improvements in the procedures Intensive use of electronic tools –internet for tracing of products and manufacturers –Databases for comparison of products and shortcomings found –100% electronic in-house document handling –seek to communicate electronically with all co- operating partners Use of different testhouses to find best practice and save money

Procedural shortcomings At national level we have 5 levels of intervention depending of how severe the risk is. At European level there is only one level of intervention (=Notification under Article 9) and according to LVD, Member States are obliged to notify if measures are taken to limit the free circulation of goods.

Where to find more information Electrical safety: equipment/lv/index.htm Standards: and Danish Authorities: