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22 E L EC TR I C AL CONNEC T I ON
S PR I NG 20 1 6
HAVING NAAN OF IT
P
roduct compliance is not a new
issue – indeed, you may be sick
of hearing about it.
However, as long as electrical
contractors are being jeopardised by
imported, inadequate international
products it is important to keep
publicising the issue.
In one case the team at a Wagga
Wagga contractor, RIC Electrics, faced
a series of challenges when a client
building an oil seed processing plant
bought the equipment from India.
RIC Electrics was subcontracted to
carry out the electrical installation
portion of the project.
This meant RIC Electrics had to
work with the suppliers to create a
solution that complied with Australian
Standards. They eventually achieved
their goal – and learnt several valuable
lessons along the way.
“We were in town and heard there
was a bit of work going on,” company
director Bruce Duff says.
“It was good timing on our part – the
retired electrical engineer organising the
installation became ill, so we were asked
to assist with the design and installation
of the electrical equipment portion of
the project.
“But it turned out that everything,
including the motor control centres
(MCCs), had been procured from India.
“Initially, they were going to send
a team over from India to install the
equipment. Fortunately, the client’s
project manager (who also came on
board after the items were purchased)
said ‘no’.
“He explained to the client that the
work wouldn’t comply with Australian
Standards so the job couldn’t be done
with the use of Indian labour and
electrical equipment. He’d been involved
with Indian suppliers before.
“There are significant differences
between Indian electrical regulations
and AS/NZS 3000:2007.”
The client had opted for a canola
oil seed processing ‘package’ that
included all the plant machinery and
electrical components.
“RIC Electrics told the suppliers they
could not provide any equipment unless
it complied with Australian Standards,”
Bruce says.
A potential red flag was raised early
in the project. Before the contract was
IMPORTED ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT MAY LOOK GOOD AT
FIRST, BUT THEN THE REMEDIAL
WORK HAS TO KICK IN.
PAUL
SKELTON
REPORTS.
From non-compliant MCCs to paper-thin cable ladder that didn’t have a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) rating,
the team at RIC Electrics had its work cut out to turn around a system that complied with Australian Standards.
COVER STORY