Watch out for sub-standard cables

Some cable manufacturers are producing ‘golden samples’ to cheat the system and get dodgy cables onto the market.

A Chinese cable manufacturer has recently been found to have supplied ‘golden samples’ from another legitimate cable producer to secure an order in the UK, according to the Approved Cable Initiative (ACI). Once trade samples were accepted, the manufacturer then supplied its own sub-standard cable to complete the order.

If a golden sample is submitted for a one-off test it has no value as proof of compliance to standards as the results only apply to the piece of cable supplied. There’s no assurance of on-going quality without sampled re-testing.

Check your cables to ensure they’ve been subject to rigorous third party approval, this ensures that the cable and the manufacturers themselves are repeatedly inspected - including unannounced visits and periodic re-testing of products several times a year.

How to keep sub-standard cables off your site

Always look for:

• Type of cable, BS or other relevant standard number
• Cable reference number or UK cable code
• Number of cores and nominal cross sectional area
• Manufacturer’s details and traceability information (held on the cable or on the documentation)
• Third-party approval and CE-marking

Don’t buy cheap, dodgy cable if you want to protect your reputation. Contact the ACI on 0208 946 6978 / 07973 636688 or email info@aci.org.uk if you have a cable concern.

Please Note: Every care was taken to ensure the information was correct at the time of publication. Any written guidance provided does not replace the user’s professional judgement. It is the responsibility of the dutyholder or person carrying out the work to ensure compliance with relevant building regulations or applicable technical standards.