Proactive market surveillance of lighting chains completed

Market Surveillance Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and market inspection authorities of the BiH entities and Brčko District of BiH have implemented proactive market surveillance of lighting chains (decorative lights). 

Proactive market surveillance of lighting chains has been carried out consecutively for four years, because the results of administrative, visual, and laboratory controls indicate that lighting chains with poor safety characteristics are available on the market in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A consistently high percentage of dangerous products has been recorded in relation to the number of samples tested in the laboratory. Unfortunately, during this surveillance the percentage of dangerous products of 78% confirms the trend from previous years.

Lighting chains that are placed on the market must not endanger the safety of users, i.e. they must comply with certain safety requirements. These safety requirements are prescribed by the Order on electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits (Official Gazette of BiH, 98/09) and the standards BAS EN 60598-1 and BAS EN60598-2-20.

The implementation of proactive surveillance included 14 inspection controls, in which inspectors performed administrative and visual control of lighting chains on the market and took nine samples for laboratory testing. Laboratory analysis revealed that 7 samples (78%) do not meet safety requirements.

Risk assessment determined that all 7 non-compliant models of lighting chains pose a serious risk to consumers, i.e.  the products pose risk of electric shock and fire to the user.

Based on the ordered measures and the activities undertaken, 7 models of non-compliant lighting chains (total of 242 products) were withdrawn from the market and destroyed.