On March 12, 2019, Matt Toohey, the president of SAA Approvals (an Australia authoritative certification body), visited our lab and had a deep communication on the latest changes of Australia certification. BACL, with professional testing ability, perfect quality management and good service level was highly appreciated by him. Both sides will continue to strengthen strategic cooperation to exploit Australia certification market. BACL, as the cooperative laboratories recognized by SAA, it's technical experts will interpret the latest news of Australia certification in detail for the majority of electrical product manufacturers relying on the certification platform of SAA, and help customers quickly occupy the Australian market!

SAA Accredited laboratory certificate:

Update points of Australia certification in 2019:

★ In the latest version of AS/NZS 60598.1:2017, any MOVs shall comply with clause 3.16 of AS/NZS 3100. 

★ GS reports are no longer accepted as of November 2018.

★ From April 24, 2019, SAA applications based on AS/NZS 60598.1:2013 will no longer be accepted. Instead, the latest version of AS/NZS 60598.1:2017 shall be used.

★From January 17, 2019, bulbs and tubes will become level 3 mandatory certification products with bulbs AS/ nzs62560:2017 and tubes AS/NZS 60598.2.1:2014+ a1:2016.

Q & A on Australian RCM certification：

Q1.What are the REAS and RECS systems？

A1: REAS is an external certification system of New South Wales. They have a list of mandatory certification products. The products in the list are issued with the Certificate of Approval. Such certificates will be uploaded to the national database.

An overview of REAS：

RECS is an external certification system of Queensland which uses AS/NZS 4417.2 as the standard for products involved in the certification regulation . This means it covers all household products. The list of mandatory products is very similar to the list of level 3 products. If you select the RECS system, all certificates (classes 1, 2, and 3) will be uploaded to the national database. 

An overview of RECS：

Q2.What is the electrical equipment in specified range？

A2: Electrical equipment in the specified range shall be low-voltage electrical equipment that meet the following rated range：

—Greater than 50VAC RMS or 120VDC (extra-low voltage)；

—Less than 1000VAC RMS or non corrugated 1500VDC (high voltage)；

—Electrical equipment designed or sold for domestic, personal or other similar use.

Q3.New RCM system

A3: The RCM is simply a badge covering electrical safety and/or EMC.

No RCM certificate!!!

Importers and manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand shall register to use RCM.

RCM is not intended for the electrical safety of commercial or industrial products.

Even if a product is not covered by RCM's electrical safety requirements, it may still be required to be labeled RCM to demonstrate the compliance with EMC requirements.

If the product has SAA certificate and complies with EMC regulations, it can be labeled with RCM。

Foreign companies cannot and do not need to register in the RCM system.

When foreign manufacturers receive SAA certificates, their mandatory certification products / level 3 products have been automatically registered in the RCM database. Importers can search certificates in the system.

If it is an application for electrical safety with RECS system, we will still upload certificates of level 1 and level 2 products to the database.

According to the current RCM system classification, electrical equipment is divided into three categories: products of level 1, level 2 and level 3, among which level 3 products are defined as high-risk equipment. Products of level 3 and level 2 can be checked in relevant regulations AS/NZS 4417.2. This classification will change with the update of Australian standards/regulations. Now, for the products of three levels, RCM registration must be required, and after the SAA Approvals authority issues SAA certificates, the product certification information will be automatically imported into the RCM system for the users to go through the RCM registration conveniently.

Q4.EMC

A4: SAA now provides EMC certification and SDOC (supplier compliance statement)

This is not an agency service. This service aims to provide the client with requireddocuments.

SAA issues legal documents required by Australian customers and government.

Q5.Acceptable test reports

A5: Report shall have CNAS logo or other similar logo.

Reports shall be written in accordance with the accreditation scope of the laboratory.

The signatory shall be someone listed in the certification qualification document.

Valid CB certificate and the CB reports mentioned in the certificate shall be submitted together. Please note: CB test report of CTF Stage 4 is not accepted.

GS reports are no longer accepted as of November 2018.

All test reports submitted to SAA shall be from the laboratory with corresponding authorization.

Q6.LED Driving power

A6: Unless all connection points of the driving power are permanently fixed to the lamps and lanterns using a z-type connection, otherwise, it is a mandatory product/level 3 product and requires separate certification.

Q7.LED Portable light

A7: Mandatory certificate products or level 3  products.

AS/NZS 60598.1 and AS/NZS 60598.2.4.

If the driving power is separated from the light, it shall be certificated separately.

Appendix ZA applies only to simple lightings.

Q8.Electrical tools

A8: In Australia, portable hand-held power tools are mandatory product/ level 3 products .

Please note that many of the 60745 standards have been replaced by 62841.

Portable tool tests shall comply with AS/NZS 62841, IEC 61029 is no longer applicable.

Do test according to published standards.

Battery-powered power tools shall be tested in accordance with AS/NZS 62841. As a complete component, the battery shall comply with IEC 62133.

Separate battery modules sold alone belong to mandatory product in New Zealand and shall be certified。

Q9.The power supply

A9: The product shall be tested according to the correct criteria ；

A/V, IT and telecommunication devices can be tested according to AS/NZS 62368.1:2018;

As for 60950.1 or 60065, the downtime has not been determined, so the two standards can still be used for testing and certification；

The ERAC has issued an updated announcement regarding the requirement for direct plug power with two shell fixation modes. The requirements of this notice are applicable only to direct plug power that meet the standard of AS/NZS 61558 and AS/NZS 60335.2.29.

Q10. EPODs and Controller/regulator

A10: EPOD is a portable wiring board. Please note that it is portable.

The applicable standards are AS/NZS 3105 or 3122 and 3100.

The controller/regulator is a portable device. For stationary devices, they shall comply with other standards.

AS/NZS 3105 is suitable for any EPOD with control/adjustment function

Travelling adaptors shall only have two sets of contacts and shall meet the AS/NZS 3122 standard.

All tests that reference to the AS/NZS 3100 series (e.g. 3105,3112,3133,3122, etc.) and that are required by AS/NZS 3100 shall be completed and written into the test report

All switches must be bipolar disconnected and tested in the attached product in accordance with AS/NZS 3133 or AS/NZS 60669.2.1 and 3133 M test clause.

Q11.Solar inverter/DC isolating switch

A11: Such products shall be registered with CEC in Australia.

SAA certifies this product in accordance with IEC 62109-1, IEC 62109-2 and AS/NZS 4777.2.

If the battery is included in the product, the battery shall comply with the relevant IEC standards, and at the same time the inverter shall comply with AS 62040.1.1.

The DC disconnecting switches used in PV installation systems are now in level 3 and will soon be listed as mandatory product. it shall comply with AS/NZS 60947.3:2018, including all Australian standard deviations.

AS/NZS 5033 is the installation standard, is not used for certification.

AS/NZS 5039 is the proposed battery storage and installation standard, which is still in the process of being formulated by the standards committee and cannot be implemented in a short term. There is currently a new standard guidance document on battery energy storage preparation. The CEC will soon be applied to battery energy storage preparation for PV fabrication devices and the registration of DC isolation switches.

As a professional international third-party testing and certification body, BACL can provide you with one-stop testing and certification services in Australia and New Zealand to ensure the fast and smooth entry of your products into the Australian market relying on years of rich experience in testing and certification of electronic products and short testing and certification lead time.