Counterfeiting - fighting fake and dangerous electric cables

We've all, I'm certain, bought goods that are suspiciously cheap, or known to be fakes. I once purchased some fake Benetton shirts in Thailand, complete with realistic looking crocodile logos. I knew they were fake because they were extremely cheap - which is why I bought them, and because the quality was not what I would have expected from the real thing. In fact, they lasted some years without falling apart, but many fakes are of appalling quality and are simply not worth buying.

High costs:

Copying products is an insidious, fast growing 'business' globally. Estimates vary on the costs of counterfeiting, but one is that it costs legitimate businesses £100bn annually, or more. Around 5%-7% of the world trade is in counterfeit goods. In the US alone, over 750,000 jobs are lost annually as a result of counterfeit goods, and some companies are losing 40% of revenue to such theft. Indeed, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates (2005) lost sales worldwide of 2.4bn euros because of counterfeit electrical components. Even this enormous amount is extremely conservative. And every year, many tens of millions of pounds' worth of counterfeit electrical products reaches UK shores, to be sold on the Internet, through dodgy outlets, and even occasionally across the trade counters of reputable electrical wholesalers.

Companies and their brands may suffer greatly at the hands of the counterfeiters. They lose money, and lots of it, but they also lose the goodwill of the buying public who often, it seems, do not know that the products are counterfeit, and who therefore think that the brand involved is not worth buying again.

More worrying still, though, is the fact that some fakes are potentially or actually dangerous - sometimes highly so. It is no exaggeration to say that some of these products can and do kill. They also cause fires with depressing regularity across the world. 'Copycat' electrical products include plugs, socket outlets, lamps and light fittings, connectors, and even fuses and other circuit protection devices.

Cables are not excluded, and the ultimate price to pay is death. For example, there have been instances of counterfeit Prysmian flat twin and earth cable (Product 6242Y) appearing in an overseas market. The company managed to obtain samples of this cable and conducted tests that proved conclusively that the cable was not safe to use and did not conform to current safety standards.

Very recently, the British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) issued a public warning about 'Kaydour' branded multi-core PVC sheathed XLPE insulated steel wire armoured cable. This type of cable is commonly used for low voltage (LV) power distribution around sites or within buildings. Available in various sizes, this was claimed to comply with BS 5467. In fact, BASEC's independent testing uncovered serious faults, including excessive conductor resistance and excessive armour resistance. The conductors were up to two standard sizes smaller than that marked on the cables, which could result in overloading and overheating in use. The armour resistance could also result in ineffective earthing. The cables can be identified by the brand name Kaydour printed on the cable sheath.

One recent example discovered by BASEC was a cable claiming to be a heat resistance flex, commonly used in lighting applications. On heat ageing, both the insulation on the live core and the sheathing material became brittle. In use, this could result in a short circuit, fire or electrocution.

Another example brought to BASEC's attention is a 'fire performance cable' claiming to comply with BS 5839-1 requirements. Testing revealed very poor fire performance, and conductors made of aluminium.

In yet another example, it was reported that Scolmore International had warned retailers of domestic electrical appliances to beware of fake (and potentially dangerous) copies of its extension leads after discovering a large number of counterfeit single-gang trailing leads in circulation in the UK.

Samples of suspected substandard cables tested have shown that they failed the required flame tests, did not meet the required standards for tensile strength and crush resistance, had insulation material that did not meet minimum wall thickness, and had conductor materials that exceeded maximum diameter requirements.

The number of such cases of non-compliant cable on the market in the UK is growing and there are examples of potentially dangerous products being uncovered. BASEC CEO Dr Jeremy Hodge says: "Non-compliant cables may cause problems for installers during installation, or suffer reduced life expectancy. Worryingly, we are seeing more examples of cables which could be a danger to end users either through electrocution or fire."

A key point to remember is that the critical differences between compliant and non-compliant cable only become apparent when the non-compliant cable fails - and that, more often than not, is when it's too late. And if a cable is from a producer that does not have third-party accreditation there is, in reality, no guarantee whatsoever that it is manufactured to the standard being claimed for it.

Often quite sophisticated production techniques mean it is often difficult at first sight to distinguish counterfeit from genuine until something goes wrong and the expected protection is not there. This is especially so when it is realised that many fake products carry the required (faked) standards and safety markings, as well as the CE mark and faked company logos and trademarks etc.

What can contractors do?

The consequences of counterfeit electrical accessories entering the supply chain are damaging for everyone - manufacturer, wholesaler, installer, buyer and end-user alike. For example, contractors need to understand the risk they undertake as the installer of non-compliant cable products. By purchasing and installing non-compliant products, they risk exposing themselves to liability for product failures and any resulting safety issues. In the event of long-term product reliability issues, there may be no recourse for building owners and contractors who have issues with electrical product quality or performance. So what to do?

• Firstly, and importantly, remember that the responsibility for ensuring that only genuine quality products are used lies with all those specifying, purchasing and installing electrical equipment.
• There are a number of ways in which, for example, electrical contractors and installers can gain a good idea as to whether a cable is suspect or not. These are:
• Non-compliant cable is usually cheaper than compliant products - often much more so. If the price appears too good to be true, contractors should be extra vigilant in checking the cable product's quality and manufacturing process.
• They should always ask their supplier about the manufacturing plant location before they buy, because with these non-compliant products there is no guarantee of quality or safety.
• It is recommended that contractors purchase cable from reputable electrical wholesalers, because most non-compliant products are sold through specialty distributors or - increasingly - on the Internet. Even so, some counterfeit and sub-standard products have appeared, even in these reputable channels, so it still pays to be vigilant.
• Purchasers of electrical cable should also ask the wholesaler (or other vendor) to produce a certificate of origin and a certificate of compliance. All they have to do to confirm third-party certification is check the appropriate certification body's website. For example, it takes just a couple of minutes to access the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) Red Book Live website to ascertain precise details on every LPCB certified cable, with the same applying to BASEC at www.basec.org.uk. There may well be manufacturers in some countries that don't have the UK copyright rules - and manufacturers may counterfeit cable and put a BS number on it. Significantly, however, they haven't (to date, as far as is known) put BASEC on it!

Ventcroft has a novel approach. The company's cable counterfeit deterrent and theft prevention facility - 'Cable Identity Detection' or CID for short - is suitable for larger projects, and is available for use with the company's standard and enhanced fire cable. CID helps fight the installation of counterfeit, sub-standard or wrong types of fire cable. It also helps deter and reduce cable theft by employees and sub-contract employees from project sites. A commitment to 30km of any one type of fire cable enables a contractor or project specifier to have the cable printed not only with the contractor name or initials, but also with a specific project number. This provides lifetime traceability, plus the assurance that every reel of fire cable is genuine and as specified.

Fighting counterfeiting:

Apart from the examples above, especially BASEC, is very active in fighting substandard and counterfeit cables, what else can be done, bearing in mind that the penalties, when counterfeiters are caught, are usually low - simply token fines, despite the huge profits made/

BEAMA Installation (www.beamainstallation.org.uk) says that 'decisive action is needed to combat the devious 'masterminds' behind this growing industry.' The organisation has been taking action against counterfeiters for a number of years now, raising awareness of the counterfeit issue and creating political will in those countries that are involved. The organisation's 'Electric Dragon' campaigns and intelligence networks have had success such that over 12m products have been seized and 200 factories raided in China, the Middle East and Africa, as well as the UK. Many brands are now represented by companies joining forces with BEAMA Installation.

BEAMAInstallation has also produced its 'Counterfeit Kills' DVD/CD, which explains the issues, the dangers and the measures that can be taken against counterfeiting. Go to www.beamainstallation.org.uk for more information. Go to www.counterfeit-kills.co.uk to see BEAMA Installation's website on counterfeiting, produced in association with BEAMA members and Voltimum. For free copies of the 'Counterfeit Kills - Protect Yourself' DVD, call 020 7793 3013 or email [email protected]

The message is clear - buy approved cable in the first place and you can save yourself a lot of time and money.

Cable; it's not difficult to be safe and sure - But it is important because superficially, there may appear to be very little difference between an inadequate, potentially dangerous cable and a good quality compliant cable.
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/3988/s/Cable-It-s-not-difficult-to-be-safe-and-sure.html

Cable markings - marking matters - Draka has shown an industry lead by spearheading a campaign aimed at highlighting the dangers of installing electrical cables that fail to comply with the required regulatory standards.
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/12939/s/Cable-Markings-Marking-Matters.html

Testing times for the cable industry - The British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) is stepping up its scrutiny and testing of cables on the market in the UK, with the support of the British Cables Association.
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/10804/consult.experts_hottopics.counterandnon/Testing-times-for-the-cable-industry.html

Stop the counterfeit cables - an update - As a victim of counterfeit cables Prysmian is urging the industry to take action....
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/9457/s/Stop-the-counterfeit-cables-an-update-from-Gordon-McKinnon.html

Verification of safety - Dr Jeremy Hodge, Chief Executive of the British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) stresses the importance of cable verification of safety.
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/12943/s/Verification-of-Safety.html

'Kaydour' armoured cable warning - The British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) has issued a public warning about 'Kaydour' branded armoured cables.
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/12956/s/BASEC-issues-public-warning-about--Kaydour--branded-armoured-cables.html

Testing times for the cable industry - The British Approvals Service for Cables is stepping up its scrutiny and testing of cables on the market in the UK, with the active support of the British Cables Association (BCA).
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/11190/s/Testing-times-for-the-cable-industry.html

BASEC adds weight to counterfeit campaign - The British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) is supporting a campaign to tackle the growing influx of counterfeit electrical goods coming on to the UK market.
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/11018/s/BASEC-adds-weight-to-counterfeit-campaign.html

BASEC issues Spec Check alert - The need to ensure the correct specification of cables for major projects has reached a critical point as a series of new industry regulations and legislation come into force, warns the British Approvals Service for Cables.
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/10386/s/BASEC-issues-Spec-Check-alert.html

Wholesalers 'still taking risks with cables - Almost a quarter of wholesalers sold some non-approved products in the last 12 months despite the increase in faulty cables coming onto the UK market, a survey by the British Approvals Service for Cables has revealed.
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/13154/consult.experts_hottopics.Counterfeiting.VoltiB2010/Wholesalers--still-taking-risks-with-cables-.html

'Counterfeit Kills' DVD reinforces campaign combating counterfeiters - BEAMAInstallation is reinforcing its continuous campaign to combat counterfeit electrical products with a new make-over of its hard-hitting 'Counterfeit Kills' film. Now entitled 'Counterfeit Kills - Protect Yourself', it's available on DVD.
www.voltimum.co.uk/news/10809/consult.experts_hottopics.counterandnon/--Counterfeit-Kills--DVD-reinforces-campaign-combating-counterfeiters.html