Enter fulltext hereThe presence in South Africa of a considerable number of sub-standard electrical products that do not comply with safety regulations has prompted industry participants to form the SAFEhouse Association.

Pierre Nothard, Chairman of the Association, tells us, "By addressing the demand-side of the issue, with intense focus on the specification, distribution and purchase of non-compliant products, we intend to create a strong SAFEhouse brand that will be synonymous with quality & safety, for use by its members and as an assurance to members' customers."

SAFEhouse is primarily a communications organization that aims to regulate itself and to inform the market of safety requirements and occurrences of non-compliance with such requirements.

By being members of SAFEhouse, suppliers give assurance to customers of responsible behavior and of the priority being given to customers' safety in product design and manufacture.

Suppliers' social responsibility and product quality have a high degree of awareness in most customers' minds and SAFEhouse membership therefore ought to be a serious consideration as part of an organisation's communication to its market.

The SAFEhouse industry initiative has the following principal objectives:

·       To protect users of products

·       To expose persistent non-compliance or other features that affect the safety of products

·       To enforce its code of conduct

·       To promote and protect the interests of its members

·       To co-operate with all entities who have congruent objectives, notably the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)

·       To promote environmental protection

Pierre further adds, "SAFEhouse requires its members to adhere to its code of conduct. This code of conduct includes protection of customers, and is, in effect, suppliers' promise to their customers. It requires members to be accountable".

The SAFEhouse code of conduct includes the following undertakings by suppliers:

·       To sell only products that comply with South African safety regulations and standards

·       In the absence of local regulations, to comply with credible international standards

·       Compliance with the Consumer Protection Act; and

·       In the case of its members' products having safety defects, to:

o    Inform customers

o    Recall the product

o    Replace the product

Members of SAFEhouse are the following leading brands:

Voltex, Major Tech, Crabtree Electrical Accessories, CBI Electric African Cables, Apex Cordset Technologies & Aberdare Cables

If you want to know more about being a SAFEhouse member,

call Pierre Nothard on 083 414 4980 • Tel: 011 396 8140 • Fax: 011 396 8024

www.safehousesa.com