Thousands of substandard electrical products seized, destroyed by GNBS
Inspectors of Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) have seized 6867 pieces of substandard electrical products, which it destroyed on Monday.
These items included breakers, lamp holders, power cords, receptacles, power outlets, knife switches and surge protective devices. On Monday, the GNBS said that the items were seized from sale outlets in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Mahaica-Berbice) for failing to comply with the requirements of the standards. The GNBS said that some of the items confiscated and destroyed were found to be without any label while others did not specify the country origin; certification marks to prove that they were tested by an independent laboratory for quality were missing from labels; and for others there were no directions for use. There were a large number of inferior power cords and power strips incorrectly labelled as surge protective devices while they did not have such protection capability.
Most of these non-conforming items were placed on hold by the GNBS for inspection. During this period, importers and dealers were given the opportunity to submit test certificates, and in some cases, Declaration on Conformity of Origin. Some importers could not provide the requisite documents, which are based on the minimum requirements established by the respective mandatory national standards.
Some of the electrical fittings that were seized and destroyed by GNBS
The entity said on that in 2021 it commenced the monitoring of several categories of electrical equipment and fittings based on the requirements of 31 mandatory national standards. The standards are aimed at protecting consumers from losses or injury resulting from the use of inferior electrical items.
To avoid seizure of items, importers and dealers were reminded on Monday to register with the GNBS, submit samples of new products for approval before importation; and ensure inspectors of the GNBS examine consignments of commodities before clearance and sale in the country. Importers are also advised to purchase from sources known for producing quality products and those that are able to issue warranties that could be easily passed on to consumers.
The GNBS said that some of the items confiscated and destroyed were found to be without any label while others did not specify the country origin; certification marks to prove that they were tested by an independent laboratory for quality were missing from labels; and for others there were no directions for use. There were a large number of inferior power cords and power strips incorrectly labelled as surge protective devices while they did not have such protection capability.
