Pursuant to Regulation 87 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 ("the Regulations"), I, Mark Stephen Wogan, Manager, Energy Safety, give the following notice.
N o t i c e
1. Short title and commencement-(1) This notice is the Electricity Regulations (Prohibited Electrical Appliances - SKYLA Electric Hot Pack Models SKE123, SKE124, SKE125, SKE126 and SKE127) Notice 2013.
(2) This prohibition is to take effect on and from the date following the date of publication of this notice in the New Zealand Gazette.
2. Prohibited equipment-The manufacture, importation, sale (including offer to sell), and use of the electrical appliances, being "SKYLA Electric Hot Pack Models SKE123, SKE124, SKE125, SKE126 and SKE127" as prescribed in this notice, are prohibited.
3. Description-(1) The "SKYLA Electric Hot Pack Models SKE123, 124, 125, 126 and 127" (hereafter referred to as SKYLA Electric Hot Pack) to which this notice applies are products generally known as electric "hot water bottles" as further described below.
(2) The SKYLA Electric Hot Pack has been sold nationally to retail pharmacies by BDM Grange Limited, as an alternative
to traditional hot water bottles. The prohibited SKYLA Electric Hot Pack may also have been available elsewhere in
New Zealand.
(3) The prohibited SKYLA Electric Hot Pack has known markings that include "voltage:240Vac/50Hz", "Power: 600W 2.5A", "HAVENHALL PTY LTD SKYLA" and includes "RCM", "N11805" "CE", and "double insulation" symbols.
(4) The approximate overall dimensions of the prohibited SKYLA Electric Hot Pack are: 30 x 11.5 x 45 cm.
(5) The prohibited SKYLA Electric Hot Pack has a red coloured flexible plastic fabric body, which has an embedded oval pink coloured plastic electrical connector, with a heart-shaped recess containing three metal plated round plug pins with rounded ends.
(6) The embedded connector has a captive clear plastic contact cap cover, intended to cover the accessible plug pins of the connector when not in use.
(7) The SKYLA Electric Hot Pack is also supplied with a separate matching dedicated connector on a supply cord and plug approximately 1 metre in length.
(8) The SKYLA Electric hot pack is also provided with a red coloured soft cloth bag into which the SKYLA Electric Hot Pack can be placed for personal comfort when in use.
(9) The images shown below are views of one sample of the prohibited SKYLA Electric Hot Pack for identification purposes:
[IMAGES INSERTED HERE]
4. Details of hazard-The prohibited SKYLA Electric Hot Pack may be electrically unsafe in that:
(a) It has live electrodes directly in contact with the conductive liquid within the flexible body of the appliance.
(b) If it should leak when connected to a 230 V supply for heating, anyone who comes into direct or indirect contact with that liquid is at risk of receiving an electric shock, which could cause injury or death.
(c) Therefore, the SKYLA Electric Hot Pack may constitute an electric shock hazard to anyone in the proximity of the SKYLA Electric Hot Pack when it is connected to a 230 V supply.
5. Reasons for prohibition-The prohibited SKYLA Electric Hot Pack described in this notice is, or may be, electrically unsafe, in that there is significant risk that a person may suffer harm as a result of dangers arising from use of, or passage of electricity through, the fittings. The prohibited SKYLA Electric Hot Pack is non-compliant in that:
- with respect to Regulation 80(2)(a) of the Regulations, the SKYLA Electric Hot Pack does not comply with standards AS/NZS 3820 or AS/NZS 60335.1; and
- the SKYLA Electric Hot Pack is electrically unsafe, as defined in Regulation 5 of the Regulations; and
- the SKYLA Electric Hot Pack is electrically unsafe, as it is an electrically unsafe appliance under Regulation 23(1)(b) which "is not constructed so as to be safe under both normal and abnormal conditions".
Dated at Wellington this 19th day of November 2013.
MARK STEPHEN WOGAN, Manager, Energy Safety - Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment.