Countering cable collaborators
In 2010, the Approved Cables Initiative (ACI) launched a campaign to expose those trading in defective cables and educate the market place to their dangers. A year on, Peter Smeeth of the ACI reports on some of the highlights of the campaign, and the initiative’s on-going work
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n May this year, the Approved Cables Initiative attended the ECA’s annual conference to highlight its work in bringing to task those trading in defective cables. While the importance of enforcement and upholding of product
specifications and standards is central to the ACI’s message, conference delegates were in no doubt that there isn’t a quick solution and achieving this will take time and involve all those in the electrical supply chain. Since March last year, the ACI has uncovered defective
cabling in many forms – from armoured cables, house wiring, arctic grade flex to flexible cords and fire-performance cables. The well documented incident involving Turkish cable manufacturer Atlas Kablo cable resulted in around half of the 20 million metres of defective cable shipped to its UK customers being destroyed (figures verified by BASEC (British Approvals Service for Cables)).
The ACI is working to reinforce and change existing legislation to stop defective cabling entering the UK market
Destruction of faulty cables
The 10 million metre shortfall has meant that those operating in the electrical supply chain have needed to remain vigilant. And it was the same cable that caused concern earlier this year when, as part of the ACI’s ongoing market surveillance, previously-recalled Atlas Kablo cable was discovered readily on sale in two major DIY chains in a number of locations. In both instances, the product was withdrawn from sale once the issue was brought to the companies’ attention. However, whereas previously these cables have been
sold directly to electrical contractors, the discovery of them in DIY stores means that they have been readily available to the general public to purchase – an audience far less informed about the dangers of such cable.
BBC Fake Britain The release of this information to the electrical supply industry was followed by the announcement that the BBC was also keen to highlight the work of the ACI. At the end of May, following more than 12 months’ cooperation with programme producers, BBC1’s Fake Britain raised the stakes further by highlighting the issue of counterfeit and faulty cables. Producers for the programme were keen to bring the
issue of defective cables to the attention of the public in its second series. The Fake Britain programme included footage filmed last year as part of the BBC’s investigation, and highlighted one of the key problems associated with defective cables – the reduction of copper in cables and the dangerous results such practice can present. As part of the feature, viewers were able to see testing of
fire performance cable – used in essential fire alarm wiring in schools, hospitals and other public buildings – and how cables with reduced copper levels fail current British Standards. During the piece, investigators were also taken to a storage warehouse and shown how much defective cable has already been seized as part of the ACI’s investigations. This footage can be viewed again at
www.aci.org.uk
Health and Safety Executive The BBC isn’t the only party interested in the faulty cable issue. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) shares the ACI’s concerns, and was tasked by the Department for
22 ECA Today July 2011
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