Compliance Insights October 2023

Regulatory changes

Folding U.S. plug pins in Australia

The topic of power supply units that incorporate a removable (detachable) Australian plug part that can be clipped onto U.S. plug pins has created some concerns during discussions with Australian electrical safety regulators. New products (in particular power supplies) that incorporate parallel plug pins that can be folded out for insertion into a U.S. socket outlet and folded back to allow a detachable Australian plug part to be attached can no longer be certified by REAS (NSW) certification bodies. Certification for existing products of this type remain current for now; however, discussions within the regulatory and standards realm are ongoing, and we anticipate more formal notices and information bulletins on this topic to be released in the near future.

New standard/amendment publications

AS/NZS ISO 8124.3:2021, Amendment 1

Safety of Toys, Part 3: Migration of Certain Elements
Amendment 1 published on Nov. 4, 2023
FYI only

AS/NZS ISO 8124.2:2023

Safety of Toys, Part 2: Flammability
New edition published on Oct. 13, 2023
FYI only

Standard/amendment published but pending application

The following standards have an application date within the next six months.

AS/NZS 60335.1:2020, Amendment 1

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 1: General Requirements
Amendment 1 published on Nov. 26, 2021

For AS variation only: Defines the rated voltage for testing purposes as 230-240 V for appliances intended to be connected to mains supply if the marked supply voltage does not include 230 V or 240 V

Date of application: Nov. 26, 2023

AS/NZS 60335.2.25:2020

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2.25: Particular Requirements for Microwave Ovens, Including Combination Microwave Ovens

New edition published on Dec. 18, 2020
Supersedes AS/NZ 60335.2.25:2011
Identical adoption of IEC 60335-2-25, Ed. 7

• Clarification on normal operation that last cycles exclude one-minute rest period.
• Clarification that winding temperature rise is measured during the tests.
• Added alternative measurement method during abnormal operation if microwave leakage exceeds 100 W/m² (Cl 19.101).
• Additional requirement that interlock switch operated by detachable part should not cause accidental operation (Cl 22.120).
• Additional requirement for simultaneous activation of heating elements and motors (Cl 22.121).

Date of application: Dec. 18, 2023

AS/NZS 60335.2.30:2015, Amendment 4

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2.30: Particular Requirements for Room Heaters
Amendment 4 published on Nov. 6, 2021
Modified text adoption of IEC 60335-2-30:2009, Ed. 5, Amendment 2

• Added surface temperature probe specification for accessible surface measurement (11.3, 11.8 and Table 101 updated).
• Requirement for supply cord for outdoor heaters to be polychloroprene-sheathed or equivalent synthetic elastomer.
• AU/NZ national differences replace the wording “switched off” in Clause 30.2.1 with “switched off or otherwise rendered inoperative.”

Date of application: Nov. 26, 2023

AS/NZS 60335.2.32:2020

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2.32: Particular Requirements for Massage Appliances
New edition published on Nov. 27, 2020
Supersedes AS/NZS 60335.2.32:2014
Identical adoption of IEC 60335-2-32:2019, Ed. 5

• Additional requirements for accessible surface temperatures (Cl 11).
• Alternative stability requirements for hand-held appliances (Cl 20.2).
• New mechanical strength test (drop test) for hand-held appliances (Cl 21.101).

Date of application: Nov. 27, 2023

AS/NZS 60335.2.53:2011, Amendment 2

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2.53: Particular Requirements for Sauna Heating Appliances and Infrared Cabins
Amendment 2 published on Nov. 26, 2021
Identical adoption of IEC 60335-2-53:2011, Ed. 4, Amendment 2

• Minor changes to warning statements for instruction manual enhancing the supervision/inspection requirements.
• Added setup and temperature rise requirement for sauna room of Annex AA, prefabricated sauna and prefabricated infrared cabin during Cl 11 normal operation.
• Clarification on type of sauna heaters subject to Cl 19.101 and 19.102 abnormal operation.
• Enhanced limitations on maximum operational duration for timers or programmable timers (22.103).
• Additional requirement that sauna heating appliances shall have indication light or display option when switched on (22.110).

Date of application: Nov. 26, 2023

AS/NZS 60335.2.84:2020

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2.84: Particular Requirements for Toilet Appliances
New edition published on Nov. 27, 2020
Supersedes AS/NZS 60335.2.84:2014

Identical adoption of IEC 60335-2-84:2019, Ed. 3

• Added installation instructions in IM for the placement of warning label regarding disposal of glowing cigarette or other burning material (7.12.1).
• Additional requirements for appliances that have programmable electronic circuits that limit the number of heating elements and motors from being energized at the same time (22.105, Annex R).

Date of application: Nov. 27, 2023

AS/NZS 60335.2.95:2020

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2.95: Particular Requirements for Drives for Vertically Moving Garage Doors for Residential Use
New edition published on Nov. 27, 2020
Supersedes AS/NZS 60335.2.95:2012

Identical adoption of IEC 60335-2-95:2019, Ed. 4

• Minor revision to instruction requirements to separate between “substance of” items and more general information (7.12).
• Added requirements for instructions to include safe handling details for drives over 20 kg (Cl 7.12).
• Added requirement for markings to be included in the instructions (Cl 7.15).
• Added allowance for trademark and model name to be retrieved from label barcode, which should be visible on appliance after installation (Cl 7.15).
• Clarification of requirements for mechanical safety tests (Cl 20.101-20.106) during protective electronic circuit (PEC) fault testing; the driven part must also stop at a safe position during these tests (Cl 19.13).
• Added relaxations for Class III appliance supply cords (Cl 25.8, 25.15).

Date of application: Nov. 27, 2023

AS/NZS 60335.2.107:2020

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2.107: Particular Requirements for Robotic Battery Powered Electrical Lawnmowers
New edition published on Dec. 18, 2020
Supersedes AS/NZ 60335.2.107:2013

Identical adoption of IEC 60335-2-107, Ed. 2.1

• Added definition for peripherals, automatic mode, cell, battery, fully charged, discharged, general purpose (battery/cell), switched circuit and power switch.
• Additional requirement for rating label marking, warnings and instruction manual (Cl 7).
• Clarification that charging stations and perimeter delimiter are to be protected against live parts (Cl 8).
• New protection against electric shock requirement for hazardous battery voltages (Cl 8.101).
• Revised leakage and high voltage assessment to include all mains-powered peripherals.
• Removed motor lock rotor and running overload test (Cl 19.7 and 19.9).
• Clarification on electronic fault testing (Cl 19.11).
• Revised stability and mechanical hazards requirements for manual controller, manual stop, cutting means stopping time, traction drive stopping and restarting procedures, and a new standing and kneeling child foot probe test (Cl 20).
• Revised construction requirements for disabling devices, working area, perimeter delimiter, sensors and manual controller, as well as new requirements for machine connectors used for charging and contact surfaces used as obstruction-sensing devices (Cl 22).
• Revised switch component requirement to address the loading condition experienced by the machine (Cl 24).
• Revised creepage and clearance requirements for the machine and non-mains-powered peripherals (Cl 29).
• Additional information for operation of the lift sensor, tilt sensor, obstruction sensor and rollover sensor (Annex JJ).
• Revised requirement for battery operation and charging (Annex KK replaces Annex B and Annex S).

Date of application: Dec. 18, 2023

AS/NZS 62841.3.1:2015, Amendment 2

Electric Motor-Operated Hand-Held Tools, Transportable Tools and Lawn and Garden Machinery – Safety – Part 3.1: Particular Requirements for Transportable Table Saws
Amendment 2 published on Nov. 26, 2021
Identical adoption of IEC 62841-3-1:2014, Ed. 1 A1

• Additional statements to be added in instruction manual.
• Added minimum performance level for providing run-down time as required by 19.105 as part of requirement for electronics circuit providing safety-critical functions (18.8).
• Clarification on saw blade guard and guarding below table during abnormal operation in Cl 19.101.2.8 and 19.102.
• Replaced “rupture resistance” wording to “ultimate tensile strength” (19.102).
• Added limit for ultimate tensile strength and Izod notched impact strength required for saw blade guard’s other nonmetallic material.
• Changes to depth of cut and bevel angle-setting construction assessment (21.103.2).
• Extra warning statement for battery-operated tools.

Date of application: Nov. 26, 2023

AS/NZS 62841.3.9:2020

Electric Motor-Operated Hand-Held Tools, Transportable Tools and Lawn and Garden Machinery – Safety – Part 3.9: Particular Requirements for Transportable Mitre Saws
New edition published on Nov. 26, 2020
Supersedes AS/NZS 62841.3.9:2015

Identical adoption of IEC 62841.3.9:2020, Ed 2.0

• Increased maximum saw blade diameter to 410 mm.
• Minor changes to abnormal operation of mitre saw (19.101.7).
• Clarification on guard material requirement (20.1).
• Modification to tabletop dimension requirement (21.102.1).

Date of application: Nov. 27, 2023