FAQ

A:

The Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS) is designed to make sure that electrical products for home use are safe for consumers. When we talk about ‘in-scope’ electrical equipment, we’re referring to items that meet certain criteria:

• They work with voltages above 50 Volts AC or 120 Volts DC.
• They are rated for voltages below 1000 Volts AC or 1500 Volts DC.
• They are intended for use in homes, personal use, or similar settings.

It doesn’t matter if products are marketed for home, business, or industrial use—’in-scope’ is defined in law. If the authorities say a product falls within this definition, it will be considered ‘in-scope’ unless the supplier can prove otherwise. This helps ensure that all relevant electrical equipment is properly regulated for safety.

You may also wish to review the risk levels and their definitions.

A:

The Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS) is for electrical equipment used in homes and personal settings. Equipment used solely for businesses, industries, medical purposes, or extra low voltage (below 50V AC RMS or 120V ripple-free DC), and high voltage (above 1000V AC RMS or 1500V ripple-free DC) is not included.

Note: All electrical equipment being sold must be electrically safe. So even if deemed not ‘EESS-in-scope’ equipment, it must be designed and manufactured so as not cause injury to people or damage to property (such as hazards from heat, fire, explosion, electric shock). Compliance with relevant electrical safety standards and sound engineering design is required.

For more information, refer to the Not in-scope requirements page.

A:

Registration on the EESS platform as a Responsible Supplier is necessary to meet the requirements of the EESS and ACMA. The person in the Responsible Supplier organisation who performs this task will be the Authorised Officer responsible for ensuring compliance with all legislative requirements.

1. The Authorised Officer should set themselves up with a Responsible Supplier account. The ‘Setting Yourself Up’ Learning Guide can help.

Then:

The Authorised Officer should set up their business and invite team members to join. Refer to the ‘New Responsible Supplier’ Learning Guide for step-by-step instructions.

As an existing Responsible Supplier, your Authorised Officer must set up the business in the new EESS platform (and link your old registration account) and then invite team members to join. Refer to the Learning Guide for step-by-step instructions.

NOTE: When setting up the EESS platform and linking to your old account, carefully follow the steps and ensure you provide the correct information.

A:

A Responsible Supplier is a company or business situated in Australia or New Zealand that, for the purpose of sale, is either an onshore manufacturer OR imports In-scope electrical equipment from overseas.

An Authorised Officer is the Australian or New Zealand based business owner of the Registered Responsible Supplier, or is a senior person, based in Australia or New Zealand, of the Registered Responsible Supplier, with delegated responsibility from management/owner for electrical safety and/or regulatory compliance, and to make the Responsible Supplier Declaration required by the EESS.

Only the Authorised Officer can make the annual Responsible Supplier declaration of compliance to EESS requirements.

NOTE: Every Responsible Supplier registration is required to have an Authorised Officer listed. The Authorised Officer does not need to be registered as an Authorised Representative.  An Authorised Representative is not mandatory.

An Authorised Representative is a person who has written permission to act for, or on behalf of, the Registered Responsible Supplier to register In-scope equipment (levels 1 to 3) – such as an employee of the Responsible Supplier business or a consultant contracted to perform equipment registration functions for the Responsible Supplier.

However, this term has largely been superseded by the Roles and user access in the new EESS Platform, where different users that can perform equipment registrations, or other tasks, have been created:

• Business Administrator: invited by the Authorised Officer as a team member within the Responsible Supplier company – to perform equipment registrations and make payments of payment carts, and other administrative tasks required so as to free up the Authorised Officer. Such tasks include maintaining company details up to date, inviting users and consultants etc).
• User: invited by the Authorised Officer or Business Administrator as a team member within the Responsible Supplier company to perform equipment registrations, make payments of payment carts.
• Consultant, Full or Limited consultants (external companies invited by the Responsible Supplier to perform equipment registrations for the Responsible Supplier),
• Third Party Certifier (RECS) – invited by the Responsible Supplier to perform equipment registrations for the Responsible Supplier – but only can register equipment where the RECS have issued a certificate to that Responsible Supplier business. 

A Certificate Applicant is any person who obtains a Certificate from a Certifier, sometimes also called a Certificate Holder.

NOTE: A Certificate Applicant may be located in an economy other than Australia and New Zealand.

NOTE: A Responsible Supplier can (and should) also register as a Certificate Applicant.

A:

The Certificate Applicant (certificate holder) can apply a password to a certificate as a security measure to prevent unauthorised use. Please contact the Certificate Applicant to obtain the password.

A:

Before you begin:

If you have used a certificate for the registration, you must have the models listed on the certificate before modifying the equipment registration.

• If you are the certificate applicant (certificate holder) make an application to the certifier who issued the certificate and follow their process to have the models added to the certificate.
• If you are not the certificate applicant (certificate holder) contact the certificate applicant (certificate holder) and ask them to contact the certifier and have the models added to the certificate.

Wait for the certifier to upload the certificate modification onto the EESS platform (they should do that within 3 days of finalising the modification to the certificate).

Once the new models are on the certificate and the EESS platform, log into your account.  Additional models (of the same ‘family’ of equipment) can be added to an existing equipment registration using the ’Equipment Registration – Modify’ option from the lefthand navigation bar. Enter the Equipment Registration number and select the option to ‘Add models.’ Follow the steps.

Note: If you have not used a certificate for the equipment registration (level 2 or level 1 equipment) you can simply go through the process of adding models to the registration.

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You may be attempting to register as a new Responsible Supplier, but someone in your organisation has already registered.

OR

Your ABN may already be in use. Search for Responsible Suppliers in the Public Search by entering the ABN, which will allow you to check who has used the ABN.

OR

Your ABN may have been used to link your company as an ‘affiliated supplier’ (a NZ company links to an AU counterpart or visa-versa). If in doubt, contact your affiliate.

If your ABN is already in use and it shouldn’t be, advise us at eessadmin@oir.qld.gov.au.

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If you are using a certificate to register your equipment, verify that your Trade Name has been included on the certificate of conformity or suitability. If your Trade Name is not present, contact the certificate holder and request that your Trade Name be added to the related Model on the certificate. If you are the Certificate holder, contact the issuing certifier to request that it be added.

If the information is on the certificate, complete a “Modify Registration” process to add a Trade Name. When the certificate number displays again, ‘refresh’ the certificate number to make the new models visible.

If your Trade Name appears on the certificate and in the Public Search results, but you are still unable to select, please email eessadmin@oir.qld.gov.au for assistance.

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Compliance Folders are mandatory for Level 2 equipment.

Folders must contain copies of test reports to relevant standards together with other safety related information (such as a safety instruction manual, copies of nameplates, external and internal photos of the equipment, certificate details for cords and plugs used etc). The Compliance Folder must be maintained for five years after the term of equipment registration ends.

A:

Most products are sold nationally and so are required to be registered to meet requirements of jurisdictions who apply the EESS.

If the product is sold only within New South Wales (NSW) and not beyond that State’s borders, you do not need to register with EESS.

Note: While transition processes remain in place, if you have an NSW regulator issued certificate, contact eessadmin@oir.qld.gov.au. It is recommended you obtain certificates from EESS Regulators or Recognised External Certification Schemes (private certifiers accredited to issue certificates for the EESS) to make registration easier.

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It may be that your certificate is

1. a) not a recognised EESS certificate and not sanctioned (not allowed to be uploaded) for the EESS platform, or
2. b) the certifier hasn’t yet uploaded it.

You can generally expect your certifier to upload your certificate to the EESS platform within three days of the certification date. Please get in touch with your certifier if the certificate has not been uploaded within the expected timeframe.

Note: Only certificates issued in accordance with the EESS requirements are allowed to be uploaded to the platform.

Enrichment is a term to describe the process used by a certifier to update certificate data from the old system (a legacy certificate) into the right format for EESS.

Enrichment of a legacy certificate is a simple 4-step process, performed by your certifier.

To enrich a certificate your certifier will access the EESS platform and using the manual certificate upload process:

1. Log into the platform and open the MODIFY CERTIFICATE screen
2. Enter the certificate number and select the appropriate checkboxes to confirm the purpose of the modification
3. Select SUBMIT.

The system will present a screen requesting missing information. The certifier will:

4. Enter your Certificate Applicant Business ID number and confirm the prefilled profile details (such as Certification type and Standards, model(s) and tradenames) displayed on screen are correct. Select COMPLETE VALIDATION.

The enrichment is complete.

Enrichment is only necessary if you want to do something with the certificate, for example, add a modification, add extra models or trade names, update the standard, or renew the certificate so you can renew your equipment registration.

Legacy certificates and any registrations using them remain in the EESS platform as valid registrations. They do not need to be updated unless you want to modify or renew. If your certifier will not enrich the certificate, you can still use the legacy certificate to register equipment ONLY if the certificate displays the current safety standard.

You cannot renew equipment registration with a legacy certificate that is not enriched. You will have to do a new registration.

See also What fees are applicable for certificate enrichment? [Financial]

A:

The Business ID is the key factor to match certificates to a Certificate Applicant’s correct account on the EESS.

To have a certificate uploaded onto the EESS it needs to be uploaded to a Certificate Applicant account.

If you are a Certificate Applicant or a combined ‘Certification Applicant & Responsible Supplier’ on the EESS you need to have the certificates uploaded to your account. You will have a Business ID that identifies your account for the certifier to upload to.

The Business ID is displayed on the certificate view in the public view of certificates. If you are a Certificate Applicant or a combined ‘Certification Applicant & Responsible Supplier’, the business ID also appears on your home page and My Organisation page of your account.

Note: A Responsible Supplier can also be a Certificate Applicant. There is a button on the My Organisation page to extend to be a certificate applicant—no extra cost or information required.

If you are a Responsible Supplier who obtains certificates in your own business name, you MUST upgrade to be a combined ‘Certification Applicant & Responsible Supplier’.

A:

As a Responsible supplier, you can authorise placement of the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) on Level 1 in-scope the equipment for which you have evidence that it meets electrical safety requirements.

As a registered Responsible Supplier, you can authorise placement of the RCM on level 2 or level 3 equipment once the equipment has been registered on the EESS platform.

You must not sell unmarked (in-scope) electrical equipment.

It is your responsibility to ensure you remain in compliance with Australian Standard AS/NZS 4417.1, which provides rules for the use of the RCM, including marking placement and dimensions. It is available once you register on the EESS platform. Find it in the Documents tab in your account.

A:

The Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS) has changed the regulatory compliance marking requirements, now known as the ‘Regulatory Compliance Mark’ (RCM).

Under EESS, you no longer need different certificate numbers marked on different equipment types.

Correctly registering as a Responsible Supplier authorises use of the RCM (in accordance with the rules).

Australian Standard AS/NZS 4417.1 provide rules for the use of the RCM, including marking placement and dimensions.

This standard is available to registered EESS Responsible Suppliers when you log in to the EESS platform. Locate DOCUMENTS on the navigation bar in ‘My Organisation’ to download the standards free of charge.

If you are not an EESS registered Responsible Supplier, the standard is available for purchase.

A:

To reset your password, please:

1. Go to the EESS website – EESS – Electrical Equipment Safety Scheme.
2. Click on ‘EESS Platform Login’.
3. Click on ‘Forgot Password?’
4. Enter the email address that is associated with your account and click SUBMIT.
5. A verification code will be sent to the email address associated with your account. Please click the link in the email to return to the EESS website and reset your password.

For more information about passwords, refer to the Learning Guide.

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When logging on, if you enter the password incorrectly five times you will be locked out of the Platform.

To have your password unlocked, please email EESSadmin@oir.qld.gov.au

For more information about passwords, refer to the Learning Guide.

Registration applications (and with many functions in the EESS platform) creates a ‘Case ID’. You can withdraw any case by opening the case type and accessing the ‘Actions’ dropdown, located in upper left area of the screen.

Follow these steps to withdraw the Case ID:

1. Locate MY APPLICATIONS on your account home page and select the Case ID link (e.g. EQR-XXXX)
2. On the (top) left-side panel, select ACTIONS. A dropdown list will appear.
3. Select ‘WITHDRAW’.
4. The WITHDRAW page will display with a text box providing you with the option to record a reason for the withdrawal. Record your reason and select SUBMIT.
5. A pop up will appear. Click OK to confirm and the case will be ‘resolved-withdrawn’.

Once completed, you can return to your account to take other actions.

This error occurs because an existing application is already open. The platform prevents multiple instances from being open simultaneously.

To continue with the existing case, search the RS-XXXX number in the top left search icon field.

If you wish to withdraw the case, select ACTIONS > WITHDRAW.

A:
Fees relevant to Responsible Suppliers include regulatory charges for their registration as a Responsible Supplier and for the registration of level 2 and 3 (in-scope) electrical equipment. Responsible Suppliers can select 1,2 or 5 year terms for equipment.

In-scope electrical equipment classified as level 1 are free to register/list on the EESS Platform.

Responsible Supplier registration fees are due annually.

A:

Each time you perform a function that has a fee associated with it (for example, a Responsible Supplier annual renewal, new or renew of an equipment registration) a payment cart is created.

You can add as many equipment registrations into that payment cart as you like and pay them all at once, or you can progress the payment cart each time to pay as you go (or transfer the payment cart to another person in your business who is listed in your My Organisation page (e.g. accounting staff) who will complete the payment.

A:

You can make payment by BPoint or (if you are located in Australia) BPay.

BPoint is a secure payment option designed to process credit card for immediate payment. Payments made from outside Australia must use BPoint.

BPay is facilitated using online banking and available when paying within Australia. BPay transactions may take several days to be processed by your financial institution.

Your EESS registrations will only complete when payment has cleared.

For step-by-step instructions, refer to the Learning Guide.

A:

To remove a payment cart, click GO in the top right corner of the View Payment page to clear all items. Once the cart is empty, you can withdraw it.

You can access and manage your payment cart by:

1. Selecting payment cart from left side navigation bar (shopping cart icon)
2. Click on the payment cart case (PC-xxxx)
3. Click on GO (upper right side) to open payment cart

Then if you want to pay the cart:

4. then follow the steps to proceed with payment

OR if you want to remove the cart and not pay the registrations in the cart:

1. Click on ‘Actions’ drop down (located in upper left corner of screen)
2. Click on ‘View Payment’
3. Screen changes to the view of the payments in the payment cart – Click on ‘Remove all’ (located at end of payment details table)

Once cart is empty click on ‘Actions’ drop down and select ‘Withdraw’ and follow the withdraw process

A:

EESS does not charge a fee for enriching a legacy certificate (to you or the certifier).

If your equipment registration needs renewing and has a ‘legacy’ certificate, you can still use the existing ‘legacy’ certificates to make new equipment registration applications if the certificate is to a current standard) at the cost of a renewal registration.

EESS has no control over fees charged by certifiers for their services. There are eight recognised external certification scheme (RECS) certifiers. You can choose to have a certificate issued by any one of the available certifiers. (Energy Safe Victora as an EESS regulator also issues certificates). Individual certifiers may offer different levels of service to certificate applicants. We recommend you seek a certifier whose services best suit your needs and budget.

Your Responsible Supplier status ‘role’ in the EESS can be extended to include ‘Certificate Applicant’, (become a ‘Certification Applicant & Responsible Supplier’) which means, you can provide to any certifier you use the details of your business name, business email and business ID (as listed on your MY ORGANISATION page). Certifiers can then upload certificates directly to your account and you can view extra details not seen in public view as well as have a list of all certificates issued to you by all certifiers and manage your certificates by running a report to see what certificates you have and when they are expiring).

See also: My certification needs to be ‘enriched’. What does enrichment entail? [Certification]