A guide and checklist designed to assist installers and distributors in meeting their statutory duty to supply compliant equipment has been published by the British Security Industry Association.

Says BSIA Technical Director, Alex Carmichael: "All electrical products sold in the European Union are subject to relevant European Directives and a CE mark is a legal requirement.

"The mark is designed to protect consumers by providing an assurance that the product conforms to all applicable electrical and safety Directives."

"However, as equipment can be self-certified by manufacturers, it is important that installers and distributors check that the manufacturer's claims are correct. BSIA intruder alarm manufacturers are already ahead of the game as they are bound by a Code of Ethics to apply the CE mark only to correctly certified products, amongst other quality pledges."

To make sure manufacturers meet the required standards, the BSIA's CE Marks Guide and Checklist provides guidance for installers and distributors on the CE standard, self-certification and includes a checklist of questions to ask to verify a CE mark is genuine.

It can be downloaded from the BSIA website: www.bsia.co.uk