In keeping with its mandate to ensure that consumers are not sold substandard imported items, the Product Monitoring Department of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) yesterday destroyed 4,800 imported light switches.
A GNBS release yesterday stated that the switches were inadequately labelled and lacked the required certification mark and were destroyed in the presence of the Bureau’s inspectors.
According to the release, the imported items were inspected since November 26, 2020 and were found not to be in compliance with requirements of the National Standard. It pointed out, “In the absence of the requisite certification mark and labelling, the importer was required to provide the GNBS with an authentic test certificate indicating that the light switches met quality requirements. The importer was unable to do so and hence, the necessary steps were taken to destroy the substandard items.”
The Bureau informed that as of February last year, it had begun monitoring of a number of electrical fittings and equipment based on the requirements of thirty-one mandatory national standards. These products include: decorative lighting products, lamp holders, armoured cables, panel boards, knife switches, conduit, tubing, and cable fittings, surge protection devices, molded-case circuit breakers, molded-case switches, and circuit-breaker enclosures, cord sets and power-supply cords, thermoset-insulated wires and cables, attachment plugs and receptacles, dry-type general purpose and power transformers.
These products monitored by the GNBS are flagged for examination at the time of importation and importers and dealers of these products are required to take the necessary steps to ensure their products meet the respective requirements. In addition, the Bureau’s inspectors will also visit sale outlets across the country to examine products which are offered for sale to ensure compliance with prevailing standards. In the event that substandard products are encountered by the GNBS inspectors, importers and dealers will be required to take the necessary corrective actions.
As such, importers and dealers are urged to purchase a copy of the relevant national standards from GNBS to familiarise themselves with the requirements so that items imported and sold are in compliance with labelling and quality specifications.
The adding of electrical fittings and equipment to the list of products monitored by the GNBS means that all such items are strictly monitored to ensure users including homeowners are protected from substandard products. The Bureau also stated that surveillance inspections will be intensified at sale outlets in the coming weeks.
The GNBS also inform-ed that it will monitor domestic electrical/electronic appliances, weighing and measuring devices, textiles, garments, foot-wear, safety helmets, safety matches, new and used tyres, gas stoves, cigarettes, PVC pipes, furniture, Christmas tree and decorative lighting outfits, cellular phones, and gold jewellery.
In the event that substandard products are purchased, the Bureau “encourages” importers to provide “timely” redress to their customers, the release added.
