Standards - Consumers' Federation of Australia

26 June , 2019

CFA side event at the Consumers International Congress in Portugal

The CFA sponsored side event on grocery unit pricing at the Consumers International Summit in Portugal on 29 April 2019 was very successful. CFA executive member Ian Jarratt gave a presentation on the history, benefits of, and problems with, the provision of unit pricing of pre-packaged grocery items around the world. Ian also provided a…

13 June , 2019

Public comment invited on standard for demand response between remote agents and electrical products

Demand response aims to ensure stable energy during times of peak demand to avoid disruptive power outages. Standards Australia is inviting Public Comment for DR AS 4755.2:2019, Demand response capabilities and supporting technologies for electrical products, Part 2: Demand response framework and requirements for Communications between Remote Agents and Electrical Products. AS 4755.2 applies to electrical products…

12 June , 2019

Updated standard on toy safety protects children

Children can suffer a range of injuries from unsafe toys. Make sure you buy sturdy and well-made toys that can handle vigorous play by children. It is an offence to supply goods that do not comply with mandatory standards, read more here The newly published revised and redesignated toys standard specifies safety aspects related to the…

6 June , 2019

Opportunity to participate in a Standards Development Program (NEXTgen)

Applications now open for Standards Australia’s NEXTgen Contributors Program which selects emerging industry and technical experts and provides them with an exciting opportunity to become involved in the national and international standardisation processes supporting Australian industry and government. Do you know any emerging experts in your industry? Standards Australia are now accepting applications for the 2019/20 NEXTgen Contributors Program.…

28 May , 2019

UN Sustainable development goals – standards can help

Transforming the world is the aim of the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – they represent an ambitious plan to enhance peace and prosperity, eradicate poverty and protect the planet. Organizations and companies looking to contribute to the SDGs will find that standards support the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental…

28 May , 2019

Check the safety of electrical products – does it have this mark?

Consumers have a right to be electrically safe when they buy electrical products, despite the enormous growth in online stores. Tested and compliant products would have this RCM mark on them, giving assurance that they meet Australian standards. The recent ruling where a importer and online seller was fined $1.2 million is a stark reminder…

16 May , 2019

National Volunteer Week 2019

Established in 1989, National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia and provides an opportunity to highlight the role of volunteers in our community and to say thank you to the more than 6 million Australians who volunteer. Consumers Federation of Australia (CFA) depends on the volunteers who represent…

14 May , 2019

Importers of electrical equipment are responsible for the safety of their product

Two years after a woman was electrocuted by a submersible pump in the backyard well of a Townsville home, the importer and online seller of the pump has been fined $1.2 million for failing to meet his obligations under electrical safety laws. Zoran Kacavenda, sole director of online business the Pump Factory Pty Ltd pleaded…

4 April , 2019

Design thinking at Standards Australia

Standards Australia invites you to share your vision of how they could develop standards better and how they could add greater value to Australian society by delivering standards in more intuitive ways via the Innovation Incubator – read more here. “Bring us your standards related needs and ideas, no matter how big or small, and…

3 April , 2019

Artificial Intelligence and ethics

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most transformative forces of our time, and is bound to alter the fabric of society. Over the last decade, major advances were realised due to the availability of vast amounts of digital data, powerful computing architectures, and advances in AI techniques such as machine learning. To ensure that…

20 February , 2019

Trusted consumer Internet of Things service or product

A new set of principles, guidelines and checklists cover the key areas that must be taken into account to create a trusted consumer Internet of Things service or product: security; privacy; transparency; supporting vulnerable consumers; customer support and complaint handling; and environment. Consumer IoT Trust by Design 2019 Guidelines and Checklists was designed in collaboration…

20 February , 2019

Wastewater and caring for the environment

Consumers are increasingly aware of plastic and other litter damaging our water systems and environment. There are also many products that have the potential to cause significant problems to the environment once in the wastewater system. CFA has a representative on the Standards Australia Technical Committee WS-041 which is drafting a new standard on flushable products to make it…