Safety Concerns Emerge Over Online Lighting Products as Most Fail Tests

A recent examination of lighting products sold on major online marketplaces has raised significant alarm bells within the Australian lighting industry. The Lighting Council of Australia (LCA) conducted tests on 131 lighting items from platforms such as Temu, AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, and Kogan, revealing a staggering 73 percent of them did not meet Australian safety standards.

Among the products tested, three downlights were subjected to rigorous laboratory evaluations, all of which failed safety tests and ignited when exposed to heat and flame. Notably, two of these failed products lacked identifiable model numbers, making them virtually impossible to trace or recall, as highlighted in the LCA's report.

LCA chief executive Malcolm Richards expressed his horror at these findings, stating, "This is no longer a question of whether someone gets hurt. It is a question of when… and right now the answer to that is nobody." He emphasized the severe risks posed by these products, which could lead to fires or electrical shocks in homes.

Temu was the only marketplace to respond proactively by removing all of its 240V lighting products from its Australian listings, while Amazon, AliExpress, and Kogan did not act upon the report shared with them two months prior. Richards criticized their inaction, calling it a deliberate choice rather than an oversight.

Consumer advocacy group Choice has also voiced concerns, revealing that approximately 6 percent of consumers reported injuries or property damage linked to unsafe products bought online. Bea Sherwood from Choice pointed out that many assume online products are pre-vetted for safety, which is not the case. She urged the government to intervene, emphasizing the need for a more robust safety regulation system.

Source: www.abc.net.au