IGNORANCE CAN BE DEADLY!

Report any electrical product failure to the dealer, manufacturer, the NRCS and, if applicable, the National Consumer Commission. If in doubt, check with the Safehouse Association for assistance.

• Buy brands you know and can trust.

• Buy from reputable distributors and outlets.

• Beware of copies of prominent brands.

• Be suspicious of prices lower than for other, similar products/services.

• Be suspicious of lack of information on or with the product packaging.

• Ask the supplier for references to other users – and contact them.

• When dealing with an electrical contractor, ask for proof of registration and about its membership of the ECA (Electrical Contractors Association). Call the ECA in your region to check credentials.

• Be critical of a suspect installation or a Certificate of Compliance (COC)

that is issued too easily.

• Ask the supplier to prove compliance with regulations i.e. letter of authority (LOA).

• Look for certification marks such as SABS, VDE and UL. (Note that the

SABS mark is not necessarily a substitute for the LOA).

• Beware of fraudulent use of well-known certification emblems, such as the SABS mark.

•A “CE” mark is not proof of independent testing and not necessarily proof of conformity.