Urgent notice to CBI/Mitsubishi switchgear customers

October 2004 News

CBI and the South African Police Services have uncovered an operation at the premises of GEM Switchgear regarding its Mitsubishi Progressive Super Series range of circuit breakers and earth leakage circuit breakers. With concern for the health and safety of its customer's employees, operations and equipment, CBI wishes to bring the following to your urgent attention:

1. These products are arriving in South Africa from Chinese manufacturers, either as blanks or with the trade name ETC, (The Mitsubishi labels and logo are then added locally).

2. These products are extremely dangerous. In tests carried out at various test laboratories at only 500 V, they exploded under fault conditions. Note that these tests were carried out at less than the 525 V commonly used in the mining industry.

3. These are exact copies. To prevent harm they need to be identified by experts.

4. There are other similar copy products on the market that could potentially have the same poor operating capabilities, which are also imported from China.

5. If you think you have had these products installed from March 2001 to date, or if you encounter any of these products in the future, urgently contact Steve Brown at 011 928 2301 or Kevin Flack 011 928 2257 for assistance.

6. CBI is concerned that using these moulded case circuit breakers in practice could lead to the loss of life, injury or damage to property.

For more information contact Steve Brown, CBI, 011 928 2300.

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