Beware of Counterfeit Electrical Products

May Message from Randall Pugh
President/CEO

Buyer Beware is the 2009 theme for the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) organization. More than one million counterfeit electrical products have been recalled in recent years, including extension cords, power strips, batteries, hair dryers and more. Unfortunately, many of these products make their way into homes and businesses before they’re detected. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection seized more than $16 million worth of counterfeit products from U.S. ports. You can take a few simple steps to be sure you’re buying legitimate electrical products.

• Purchase products from established vendors and authorized retailers.
• Use caution when purchasing from online vendors and sellers.
• Look for certification marks from nationally recognized testing laboratories, such as UL, CSA or ETL-SEMKO.
• Scrutinize labels and packaging. Check for consistency in information on the packaging and look for little things such as grammatical errors.
• Make sure the product name and manufacturing contact information is displayed on the packaging or product.
• Beware of bargains that are too good to be true. Often, counterfeit products use cheaper, poor quality materials, dropping their sale prices well below the average retail price.
• Stay informed. Visiting the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Web sites often list up-to-date product recalls. Check them out before making a purchase that you may be unsure of.

Counterfeit electrical products pose safety hazards and can cause fires, property loss, accidents and even death if undetected.

May is National Electrical Safety. Make this month the start of your year-round commitment to electrical safety. Visit our Web site at www.jacksonemc.com/safety.

Randall Pugh
President/CEO.