ETL SEMKO Authorised shops

At the retail level, people often do not know enough about the CE marking regulations for electrical products. Many people, both retailers and consumers, rely on the fact that all electrical products are dependable and safe. But this is unfortunately not always the case and buyers therefore need to be alert about goods that are not S marked. The fact that a luminaire or other electrical product is simply CE marked does not necessarily mean that the item is safe. In the case of CE marking, it is the manufacturer who guarantees the safety of the product. In the case of an S marked product, SEMKO, an independent body, is responsible for the testing. But shops, too, are responsible for ensuring that the products they sell are safe.

"Declaration of conformity" if there is no S mark
It is not sufficient to simply accept the fact that a product just has a CE mark. The shop needs to require documentation if goods are neither S marked nor supplied with any certification mark beyond the mandatory CE mark, in the form of a "Declaration of conformity" from the supplier. This document is the supplier’s own attestation to the authorities that the product complies with safety requirements. Shop staff should also be able to explain to their customers what the various marks on goods mean and – above all – be able to explain the difference between an S mark and a CE mark.

Besides training, Intertek will also inform the shops on a continuous basis about any changes in the regulations and inform them at an early stage when information has been received about a product for which a sales ban has been issued. After implementation of the scheme and a satisfactory outcome of the training, the retailer will be given information material, together with a diploma and decals to show customers that the shop has been authorised by Intertek.

Authorisation – a measure of security
One of the shops that has been authorised by Intertek is Odhner-Böhlmarks Belysning [luminaire & fittings shop] in Stockholm.
"The authorisation gives a measure of security to ourselves in the shop as well as to our customers. The training we received has made us more aware of the products that are not entirely safe. We have been in a position to say ‘no’ to the sale of items that do not come up to scratch," says the shop’s owner Mats Holmberg, who is also a member of the board of Belysningshandlarna [the Swedish luminaire traders association].

Risk of a sales ban
If it is detected during market surveillance that the product is available in the shop but there is no relevant documentation or it cannot be produced within three days, the Swedish National Electrical Safety Board will place a sales ban on the product. This can be quite a blow to a shop that has bought in a large quantity of the product in question. There have been several cases where shops have requested documents from suppliers but these suppliers have not been able to supply the documents they are obliged to have.