graham burke: new zealand's product quality standards are slipping - electrical appliance suppliers

Graham Burke is the president of the Federation of Professional trade contractors.
When New Zealanders jump into a new car, we correctly expect the car to meet strict quality standards.
So, when we go home at night, why should we accept that the appliances sleeping in the same room may not meet such standards, may fail and cause a fire?
This is a situation that New Zealand already faces, and this can only be addressed by amending legislation to prevent the continued erosion of quality standards on which New Zealand is fully entitled.
The task of New Zealand standards is to ensure that products, processes, services and performance meet the agreed specifications.
However, New Zealand standards has been working for many years and is also working to fulfill its commitment to common standards with Australia.
Since New Zealand standards was incorporated into the Department of Business Innovation and Employment, the problem has become more serious (MBIE)last year.
Lack of leadership and transparency, weak structure and limited accountability.
Funds are not enough to meet the needs of any industry in the construction industry, and communication between industry stakeholders such as New Zealand standards, MBIE and US is also poor.
Members of the Federation of Professional trade contractors account for more than one of New Zealand's construction activities, covering various services such as pipelines, scaffolding, electrical and prefabricated concrete.
Our members include the plumber and the electrician.
We recognize the importance of strong standards and the role New Zealand should play in ensuring the integrity of products, infrastructure, services and public confidence in the industry.
There are two issues that the public should be concerned about.
First, the lack of standards means that consumers do not have a benchmark to measure the critical performance and safety of affected products.
Second, the various regulators, including MBIE, did not implement the existing standards.
Recent media reports on flooding through defective woven hoses
Widely used for building and decorationis a high-
Typical examples of problems caused by the lack of credible New Zealand standard regulation.
However, among our members, we see many other examples, including shower doors that should be safety glass but have been broken, and ladders that do not meet safety requirements.
These projects have New Zealand's existing standards.
The New Zealand standards Association claims that these standards were developed with the help of "some of the best and brightest people in their field are on the standards development committee.
Their time, expertise and knowledge are critical to providing relevant and practical standard solutions.
"Our members have long played an active role in the New Zealand standards committee.
The cost of their participation in these activities is high and there is no or very little cost recovery.
If the regulator does not take any measures to implement the standard, such investment in the standard will be lost.
Why the time and money invested by the plumber can be cheap and low when setting a standard hose joint MBIE
Quality products that will be sold and installed in the homes of uninformed consumers who face the huge repair cost of damage caused by these product failures?
We support the joint standards with Australia, which, unfortunately, are dominated by Australia's timelines, views and directions as New Zealand standards do not perform their duties.
Although the industry has invested a lot of time and resources to provide technical expertise, some standards have even been canceled due to New Zealand standards's refusal to fund costs.
Without the ongoing implementation of New Zealand standards as a quality benchmark, how does New Zealanders know if the products they purchase are safe?
At present, it is the responsibility of consumers to conduct inspections.
The only solution is a thorough reform of the legislation governing standards.
The current self
Financing is unsustainable.
We have written to Yaki Dean, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Nick Smith, minister of construction, asking for urgent action.
We call for a review of the bill regulating New Zealand standards to allow the government to fund the sustainable operation of New Zealand standards.
In addition, any new system needs to be supported by effective enforcement and penalties.
New Zealand needs to regulate the supply of construction goods and equipment, including
Products that meet the requirements
New Zealand is proud of being number one. world country.
We don't have the first one yet.
World standard system.