The counterfeiting of consumer goods has been in the headlines for years now, largely thanks to lobbies from powerful global brands.

The same production of fake goods in the electrical equipment distribution market goes largely unreported, but potentially has far greater consequences.

We have seen fake products arriving, mostly from the Far East, that are potentially life-threatening. We found a miniature circuit-breaker that had no protective components within it. A single copper braid breached the two poles, rendering the device a mere dangerous switch.

Counterfeit products enter the UK marketplace in a variety of guises: as grey imports (rarely with manufacturers’ warranties), legal or illegal copies that perform less well than the legitimate originals and the downright dangerous fakes.

The call is for everyone in the trade to check the origins of any equipment they purchase. It is the suppliers and installers who carry the legal responsibility if a counterfeit product fails.

Schneider Electric advises that its products should always be purchased from a reputable and authorised distributor.

Cheap fakes could lead to the highest possible price being paid – a life.

Paul Canning, Schneider Electric

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor