EESS Regulatory
Compliance Scheme

The EESS aims to increase consumer safety through regulating household electrical equipment. The term “in-scope” is defined in law and means electrical equipment that is:

•       rated at a voltage greater than 50 V AC RMS or 120V ripple-free DC; and
•       rated at a voltage less than 1000V AC RMS or 1500V ripple-free DC; and
•       is designed or marketed as suitable for household, personal or similar use.

It is immaterial whether the equipment is designed or marketed for commercial or industrial purposes as well as for household use. If Regulatory Authorities (RAs) claim that an item is in-scope , it will be taken that way unless the Responsible Supplier can prove otherwise.

Risk Levels – Definition

A feature of the EESS is the provision of a more proactive risk based approach to regulating electrical equipment. The EESS provides for in-scope electrical equipment to be classified into three levels:

•       Risk Level 1 – electrical equipment that is classified low risk or unknown risk and is any in-scope electrical equipment not classified as Risk Level 3 or Risk Level 2.
•       Risk Level 2 – electrical equipment that is classified as medium risk and is defined in the AS/NZS 4417.2.A list of the current Level 2 equipment can be found here.
•       Risk Level 3 –electrical equipment that is classified as high risk and is defined in the AS/NZS 4417.2. A list of the current Level 3 equipment can be found here.

The joint Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 3820, titled “Essential safety requirements of electrical equipment,” constitutes a key component of the framework utilized by Electrical Safety Regulatory Authorities. Its purpose is to ensure that suppliers of electrical equipment comprehend the necessary requirements to guarantee the electrical safety and compliance of the equipment they distribute. This obligation extends to all electrical equipment, regardless of its inclusion in the Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS).

Furthermore, the Australian Standard AS/NZS 4417.1 and AS/NZS 4417.2, titled “Marking of electrical products to indicate compliance with regulations – General rules for use of the mark” (non-EESS link), delineate general guidelines for utilizing the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM), including specifications regarding its placement on the equipment and dimensional parameters.

According to AS/NZS 4417.1, the RCM is typically affixed to the external surface of the electrical equipment, positioned as close as feasible to the model identification. However, in instances where there exists a compelling rationale preventing the direct marking of the RCM on the equipment, the responsible supplier reserves the right to petition the Regulator for approval of an alternative marking method.