Safety - Staying Alive
Radios are a great hobby, but there are some hidden dangers!
High voltages are not the only dangers
- watch for Asbestos, spiders and much more, plus other's safety.
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Electrical Authorities in most states require any item operated by mains power has a safety label attached when resold. Cutting the mains plug off or other owner ideas do not replace this requirement.
The label is shown in red below, however black print is accepted. Sellers are permitted to make and print their own labels, in fact we are not aware of any offered for sale.
Further details on the Victorian legislation and links to other states and NZ requirements are below. It is important to visit the electrical authorities site for your area to determine the current requirements and wording, as the text below is presented only as a guide for private sales and Radioworld is not responsible for the accuracy of this safety information.
The Office of the Chief Electrical Inspector in Victoria states:
'Secondhand Electrical Equipment
Electricity Safety legislation requires that businesses supplying or offering to supply secondhand electrical equipment, must have a label attached stating that the electrical equipment is secondhand and whether that equipment has been tested or not.
For individuals supplying or offering to supply secondhand electrical equipment, the individual must have a label attached to the equipment indicating that the equipment is secondhand.
Purchasers of secondhand electrical equipment should take note of the general advice on how to use second-hand household electrical appliances safely.'
Businesses need to have a different label to individual sellers.
At the time of writing, the Victorian requirement for individuals was...
Second hand electrical equipment
Purchasers are advised to have this item checked for damage, have it tested before use and operate in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
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Links
Asbestos
Radios like some models of the AWA Empire State have asbestos insulation. This should never be handled and do not ever breathe near it. Some Asbestos may appear grey, after many years of dust coating it.
Look for a thin white sheet of insulation material where a valve is close to another item, like an IF transformer, or where a wood case is very close or above valves.
This is believed to be reasonably safe if not disturbed, but beware!
There are substitutes if this dangerous material is removed. Metal or tinfoil may even suit, if the heat is not excessive. The reason why Asbestos was used to insulate an IF transformer is heat causes it to drift off tune.
It appears devices with existing Asbestos can be used or sold...
Ban on Asbestos
The nationwide ban on importing and using all forms of asbestos took effect on 31 December 2003. NOHSC revised the asbestos-related material to support the ban and to help Australian workplaces introduce best-practice health and safety measures for asbestos management, control and removal.
The ban does not extend to asbestos containing materials or products already in use at the time the ban was implemented.
N.B. Radioworld advises: Please make your own checks, for example by reading information on sites found on a Google Australia search. Radioworld does not accept responsibility for comments on this page regarding Asbestos.
A good starting point is the link below.
Asbestos and substitutes
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Radioworld does not accept responsibility for any safety information on this page. Please make your own checks. Copyright Radioworld.
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