Electrical - Schneider Electric 10mA RCDs

Product non-conformance with Australian Standards

November 2020

Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) alerts you to the following product recall issued by Schneider Electric on the 29/10/2020. The recall notice is here.

The recalled products are Socket Outlet 10mA RCD and Service Panel 10mA RCD types. These products are mainly installed in health care facilities that utilise medical equipment. The risk to public safety is low, but the products do not meet Australian Standards.

Products that are recalled

2025RC10-XX, 2031RC10-XX, 2031VRC10-XX, C2025RC10-XX, ML2025RC10C-BG, ML2025RC10-XX, ML2031RC10-XX, ML2031VRC10-XX.

All products listed above purchased between 1st July 2017 and 15th October 2020 (inclusive) are potentially affected.

Obligations of Registered Electrical Contractors REC’s

Electrical installation work that includes electrical work in a patient area must comply with and be tested and verified in accordance with;

1. AS/NZS 3000 before the work is energised; and
2. AS/NZS 3003 after the work is energised but before it is put into service.

(Testing includes the Equipotential earthing system of cardiac areas). NOTE: Some RCD tester sets with switches marked ‘ZERO DEGREES’ and ‘180 DEGREES’ are not suitable for carrying out these specific tests required by AS/NZS 3003;2018.

If you do not have the appropriate testing equipment or the competency to undertake the required tests you cannot certify the work.

As stated in Regulation 249 of the Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019, work on a patient area is prescribed electrical work that must be inspected by an M-Class Licensed Electrical Inspector.

The work must be certified on a prescribed certificate of electrical safety where the inspector must also inspect, test and verify the work to ensure it complies with AS/NZS3000:2018 and AS/NZS3003:2018.

Note: the replacement of a single component part such as 1 RCD or 1 socket outlet of an electrical installation by an equivalent RCD or socket outlet in the same location and rating is not considered to be prescribed electrical installation work and can be certified on a non-prescribed certificate of electrical safety after the appropriate testing and verification has been performed.

AS/NZS 3003:2018 Commissioning

All body-protected and cardiac-protected electrical areas shall be in accordance with this Standard by the use of a commissioning checklist.

Appendix B of AS/NZS 3003:2018 sets out a checklist for the commissioning of patient areas. The check list is to be used to record all testing and verification of body-protected or cardiac-protected electrical areas in accordance with AS/NZS 3003:2018.

The commissioning results may be recorded electronically, on paper, or other similar medium and the checklist retained by the person conducting the tests with a copy provided to the responsible organisation/entity.