Pursuant to Regulation 87 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 (“Regulations”), I, Mark Stephen Wogan, Manager, Energy Safety, WorkSafe New Zealand, give the following notice.

Notice

1. Short Title and Commencement

1. This notice is the Electricity Regulations (Prohibition of Adaptors Not Having Correctly Rated Plugs and Sockets) Notice 2021.
2. The prohibitions contained in this notice take effect on the next calendar day following the publication of this notice in New Zealand Gazette.

2. Prohibited Equipment

1. The manufacture, importation, sale (including an offer to sell) or use of the following electrical fitting and class of fitting as described in this notice, is prohibited: unsafe socket outlet adaptor, as described in clause 3 (the prohibited adaptor).

3. Description

The prohibited adaptor is further described as follows:

1. The prohibited adaptor has a plug inlet. This plug inlet must be rated at a lower current than the prohibited adaptors socket outlet.
2. The prohibited adaptor has a socket-outlet. This socket outlet must be rated at a higher current than the prohibited adaptors plug inlet.
3. The purpose of the prohibited adaptor is to convert a socket outlet to a socket outlet of a larger current rating to allow an electrical appliance to be used that has the potential to draw more electrical current from the supply then the installed socket outlet is designed to deliver.
4. The prohibited adaptor has an output higher rated then the input rating.
5. For avoidance of doubt this prohibition notice:
1. Does not prohibit an adaptor that converts a socket outlet to a smaller current rated socket outlet.
2. Does not prohibit the individual fittings that make up a prohibited adaptor.
3. Applies, irrespective of the design or standard that the plug or socket outlet is built or tested to.
4. Does not apply to an adaptor that features integral overcurrent protection compatible with the fitting with the lowest current rating in the adaptor.
6. The following images show views of a sample (but not limited to) of the prohibited adaptor for identification purposes.

4. Reasons for Prohibition

1. The prohibited adaptor is, or may be, electrically unsafe, in that there is significant risk that a person may suffer harm, or property may be damaged, as a result of dangers arising from use of, or passage of electricity through, the prohibited adaptor.
2. The reasons for believing the prohibited adaptor is or may be unsafe are that:
1. Regulation 23(1)(g) of the ESR contains a unsafe provision based on a safety function that means an appliance cannot overload its plug.
2. The use of a unsafe socket outlet adaptor allows the connection of electrical equipment through a plug of lesser rating then the electrical equipment which therefore contravenes Regulation 23(1)(g).

Dated at Wellington this 3rd day of March 2021.

MARK STEPHEN WOGAN, Manager, Energy Safety, WorkSafe New Zealand.