RCM and Regulatory Frameworks in Australia

EESS
The EESS maintain three databases – the national certification database, the national equipment registration database and the national supplier database.

They also set down the equipment safety rules, in which they have three levels of conformity. These levels relate to electrical safety, and are defined as in-scope low, medium and high-risk levels 1, 2 & 3. Also defined is a category of equipment that is not in-scope.

• For low-risk items, the registered suppliers only require an electrical safety report as proof of compliance.
• Medium risk items must be registered by the supplier, and a compliance folder is required to be kept.
• High-risk items require a Certificate of Conformity and equipment registration by the registered supplier. Certificates of Conformity can be obtained from one of the state regulators, such as Energy Safe Victoria or NSW Fair Trading or one of the many JASANZ accredited Certification Bodies, such SAA Approvals, Global Mark Australia, EESS Conformity Certification and so on.
• Not in-scope equipment is treated the same as low-risk equipment.

ACMA
The ACMA have rules around telecommunications, EMC, radio spectrum and EME human exposure. These rules are in the form of the Telecommunications Labelling Notice, The EMC Labelling Notice and the Radiocommunications Equipment General Rules.

Each of these also have various levels of conformity, slightly different to how the EESS defines them.

The ACMA doesn’t have any requirement for equipment suppliers to hold a Certificate of Conformity under their rules. Instead, the registered responsible supplier, upon identifying what rules need to be followed, obtains compliance documents/test reports to show compliance with the relevant rules.

They must also declare compliance with an ACMA Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) and keep a compliance folder before labelling with the RCM and supplying the equipment.

A supplier is defined as an Australian manufacturer, an Australian importer or an Australian agent acting on behalf of a manufacturer or importer (such as Compliance Folder Management Pty Ltd) in regard to compliance matters.

It must be noted, that a supplier is responsible in ensuring and maintaining their own compliance documents and folder for the product they manufacture or import, regardless if the same product has been imported by another supplier, unless they have in place an authorised agreement with a supplier who has already declared compliance and holds a compliance folder.

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