CRITICAL CONSUMER Pat Sidley
CONSUMERS are being endangered by lights which should not be installed near water, but are being sold to them as bathroom fittings.
The manufacturer believes it is not his problem. And some specialist retailers, who ought to know better, are selling the equipment as safe for bathroom use.
The South African Bureau of Standards, which has set fairly stringent regulations, has failed to ensure that consumers are warned of the dangers of some of these fittings, leaving that task to manufacturers and retailers.
In many instances, electricians are refusing to install the unsafe appliances.
Johannesburg consumer Shirley Greenblatt ran headlong into the problem when she paid R142 for a set of “Hollywood lights” — a long cube of metal with mounting for five small light bulbs — which a specialist lighting store said was approved for use in a bathroom.
She presented the light fitting to an electrician for installation, who — knowing regulations enforced by the SABS on safety — refused to install it. Had he ignored the SABS rules, he faced losing his licence.
Moreover, Greenblatt’s new flat would not have complied with legal requirements that it pass electrical safety standards.
She tried to return the fitting to Lite Style, a Randburg firm with a branch in Johannesburg, which initially refused to refund the money, saying they have a policy of no refunds. (When the Mail & Guardian went to press they were reconsidering this position.)
A Lite Style representative said the firm had done business with the manufacturer, Melvyn Bernstein, for several years and he had consistently said the appliance was approved for bathroom use.
Bernstein, who owns a Cape Town firm called Sunlighting, has said he complies with all requirements set by the SABS, and these do not include warning consumers that the appliance should not be used in a bathroom.
“Hollywood lights are not intended for bathrooms,” he said. “They are intended for dressing rooms and vanity tables. But if a retailer asks me if they are safe in bathrooms I tell them that they are not meant for bathrooms but some electricians and (local authority building) inspectors will approve them in a bathroom.”
According to Lite Style, Bernstein’s Johannesburg representative repeatedly assured them the fitting was approved for use in a bathroom. Sunlighting has told Lite Style they feel they are not responsible for any part of the problem and Lite Style should deal with consumer itself.
The Lite Style branch where Greenblatt bought the lights told WM&G the appliance was safe for bathrooms and that “thousands are sold for bathrooms and installed in bathrooms”.
Asked about this after Greenblatt had tried to return her light fitting, the sales assistant said she had been told that same day that the appliance was approved.
The SABS has said it will look into the problem and take action if the situation merits it. A spokesman also said he would pass the problem on to the Consumer Council if Greenblatt failed to have her money returned.
According to a well-known and reputable electrician’s firm in Rosebank, this appliance should never be used in a bathroom or close to water. It is neither insulated nor waterproof and, in any event, would have to be placed so far from the water source to accord with SABS regulations that it would not land up in a bathroom.
Hollywood lights are by no means the only appliance providing consumers with this problem: it is the assumption of the SABS that most consumers “would not put the TV and video in a bathroom”. The organisation complies with international standards — but many South African consumers have not had electricity for very long, and do not know its dangers. Not only are they new to the dangers of electricity but a high rate of illiteracy means many people cannot read the warning labels.
The SABS is also faced with the added problem of exporters from foreign countries which say South African standards are “too high for a third world country”.
South African law could be used to protect consumers who can prove that they suffered damage from an appliance which was unsafe in certain applications but did not carry adequate warnings. That process, however, is expensive and lengthy and there is no certainty that consumers would win.
Meanwhile, here is some advice when buying any electrical appliance. If it is to be used in a bathroom or near a water source, ask a qualified electrician what appliances are suitable.
In a store, ask for documentation proving the appliance is safe.
Most appliances destined for use near water either have a much lower voltage than the usual 220volts, or are insulated.
If the item does not match up to these basic requirements, the results when you get it home may shock you.