SASO Launches Awareness Campaign on Conforming Plugs and Socket-Outlets
On Tuesday, Safar 17, 1436 AH, corresponding to December 9, 2014, SASO launched a two-week awareness campaign to raise the level of consumer awareness of the importance of buying three-pin socket-outlets conforming to the Saudi standard specifications, in line with the mandatory application of Saudi standard specifications in this regard, which began in 2011.
Abdulmohsen bin Mohammed Al-Yousef, Deputy Governor of SASO for Technical Affairs and SASO's Official Spokesman, clarified that SASO began, more than five years ago, to update and modify the standard specifications of plugs and socket-outlets to be in line with global orientations in this regard. In 2010, a resolution of His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Industry, about obliging all local traders, manufacturers and producers as well as importers to implement Saudi standard specifications of plugs and socket-outlets, was issued. He also pointed out that the resolution was mandatorily implemented, a year after its issuance date, to prevent the import or manufacture of any plug or socket-outlet not conforming to those specifications.
He stressed that the awareness campaign, launched by SASO, comes as a part of its responsibility towards markets in the Kingdom, after the spread of non-conforming two-pin or three-pin socket outlets. Also, he noted that SASO has held many workshops since it believes in its role in raising awareness, among interests and specialists, of the importance of this field.
SASO discussed, through these workshops, a number of topics related to the application of Saudi standard specifications of plugs and socket-outlets. It has discussed introducing these standards, highlighting the importance and benefits of their application, procedures for conformity assessment, SASO's role in contributing to consumer protection and application of specifications, in addition to the requirements for the installation of socket-outlets according to the Saudi Building Code .
The Official Spokesman noted that SASO has held specialized training workshops for control authorities participating in the implementation of the resolution of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Customs on the application of the standard. It made them aware of the differences between conforming and non-conforming plugs to ease monitoring poor quality non-conforming products in the market.
Mr. Al-Yousuf hinted that three-pin socket-outlets, in addition to not following global orientations in this regard, provide higher safety rates as they are equipped with shutters to protect and prevent children from reaching electrified terminals. These socket-outlets have an earthing terminal to protect people from electrocution, and they are equipped with a fuse that bears a current up to 13 amps, which is considered an additional protection for electrical devices. The official spokesman added saying that Saudi standards have stipulated that conforming socket-outlets shall have a switch to completely cut off the current from electrified terminals, and socket holes shall be deeper than the surface to prevent current- carrying holes from being touched.