Second Hand Electrical Equipment

All electrical equipment you supply must be safe.

For a product to be safe it must not put people or pets at risk of injury or death and it must not damage property. This generally means that equipment should be made in line with good practice by meeting harmonised European standards, international standards or national standards, or, if no standard exists, the item should have been independently tested for safety.

Equipment should be properly insulated and earthed to protect against electric shock.

You should have second-hand equipment checked to make sure it is not damaged or dangerous.

You should provide all necessary instructions for using the product safely and maintaining it.

Electric fires should be fitted with a guard to stop people and animals touching the elements.

The Department of Trade and Industry has produced a detailed guidance booklet on the UK regulations on electrical equipment available from www.gov.uk

Can I sell items with red, black and green wires in the cable?

No. These are no longer allowed, and the flex must be changed by a competent electrician.

The wires must be the following colours:

Earth – green and yellow
Neutral – blue
Live – brown

Can I sell equipment without a plug?

No. All household appliances must now be fitted with an approved plug. Standard three-pin plugs must be approved by the Association of Shortcircuit Testing Authorities British Electrical Approvals Board (ASTA BEAB) or British Standards Institute (BSI) and this should be marked on the plug. The live and neutral pins should be coated with plastic.