Latest news with #safetyStandards
ABC News
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
NSW government pushes back e-bike certification fine after industry 'confusion'
A safety requirement deadline for e-bikes that some believed would threaten food delivery, tourism and consumer options in NSW has been pushed back after outcry from the industry. Fines of up to $825,000 were meant to commence from August 1 for manufacturers and suppliers who did not have e-bike models and parts certified on time — including lithium-ion batteries or chargers. The new product standards introduced earlier this year were a nationwide first to tackle fire risk, also applying to hire e-bikes and similar micromobility products like e-scooters or skateboards. But stakeholders argued there would be adverse effects from the "unrealistic accreditation deadlines" and said the bigger concerns were homemade kits, illegal imported e-bikes and poor quality versions being bought online or overseas. Retailer 99 Bikes began clearing stock in preparation, while US manufacturer Trek said it would have been forced to withdraw from sales in NSW in order to comply by the original date. After some pressure, the NSW government quietly announced last week the cut-off was postponed until next February. Here's how the new date will affect customers trying to buy or rent e-bikes in the state. Like dishwashers or hair dryers, e-bikes must now meet international electrical standards and be approved before sale. NSW Fair Trading said the new standards — including providing information about safe use, storage, charging and disposal — would help ensure only compliant products were available on the market. Regulation and Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said it would also crack down on fires sparked by low quality batteries. According to Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW), there have been 166 lithium-ion-related incidents in the state so far this year. General manager of Bicycle Industry Australia Peter Bourke said the government's "one size fits all" approach bunched together "good quality" e-bikes with "lower end" alternatives. "This declared articles framework the New South Wales government utilises has been designed around household goods," he said. "They've actually compared e-bikes to the same electrical frameworks as toasters and electric blankets." After receiving feedback, NSW Fair Trading said consultation concerns included "delays in obtaining test reports, costs associated with testing, and confusion around the scope" of the process. Applying for certification with the consumer regulator costs about $1,200 per bike, but additional lab testing can be over $20,000 per model and take up to six months, Mr Bourke said. "The challenge is not about meeting the certification, it's about going through the testing protocols," he said. Chief executive of 99 Bikes, Andrew Garnsworthy said the chain was supportive of the "overall objective to have high quality e-bikes and a reduction in e-bike battery fires". He said the initial "unrealistic accreditation deadlines" would have led to safer models being pulled from the market. In turn, Mr Garnsworthy said consumers could resort to lower quality alternatives available online from overseas, which could "backfire and unfortunately increase the amount of battery fires". He welcomed the "sensible" extension, but said the testing costs, even pushed back, could "increase the costs of e-bikes in NSW" for consumers. Outdoors NSW said at the start of July that the implementation would "devastate cycle tourism, force business closures, and risk millions of dollars in government investment in regional adventure tourism". This is because hire e-bikes, used by tour companies and in food delivery, were not exempt from the certification rules. "Good quality hire bikes for food delivery … operate on a monthly hire process," Mr Bourke said. "So those [third party companies] wouldn't have been able to hire their product out either, and so the gig economy workers would also have been messed up." A spokesperson for NSW Fair Trading said the cost of certification was "expected to be borne by manufacturers, with small businesses primarily responsible for verifying that the products they sell are compliant". "Matters relating to illegally imported bikes fall under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Government," they said. NSW Fair Trading confirmed the new compliance deadline came after "feedback from industry stakeholders". "Despite the extension, all declared e-micromobility products must continue to meet the prescribed safety standards and NSW Fair Trading will maintain active market surveillance and enforcement action against suppliers found selling non-compliant products," the spokesperson said. Mr Bourke said for customers hoping to buy or upgrade their e-bike next month, it would be "business as usual". "Brands are looking to certify their product as fast as possible and over the coming months there will be an ability to replace stock," he said. Smaller fines of up to $5,500 will still be enforced on August 1 for suppliers who do not provide clear and accurate safety information alongside products. The final piece of the puzzle is the introduction of mandatory labelling, which is also set to kick off next February.
CBC
17-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Garage sale success hinges on planning and pricing, say deal hunters
Social Sharing Candy Ingram was hooked on garage sales from the first time her parents dragged her along to one. "I was 20 or 21, with my mom, and I put my hand in a box of jewelry and pulled out a gold ring, so all that got me going," said the Winnipeg woman, who now goes to garage sales weekly and has hosted several. In the decades since she struck gold, she's learned it takes much more than a box of jewelry to make a garage sale a hit. Success hinges on planning and pricing — processes she thinks should begin almost as soon as the urge to declutter or earn some extra cash through a garage sale strikes. "Make yourself three piles: give away, keep, and then, of course, your garbage pile," Ingram said. Whatever doesn't fit in any of those can be ideal for a garage sale — with some caveats. Legal responsibilty Health Canada says anyone hosting a garage sale is legally responsible to ensure products sold, whether new or used, meet safety standards. That means no selling baby walkers, which were banned in April 2004, cribs made before 1986 or protective sports equipment, like helmets, more than five years old or without a CSA International safety sticker. Baby gates, car seats, strollers, playpens, toys, kids' clothes with drawstrings and jewelry also come with Health Canada requirements for anyone selling them or even giving them away. If an item can be sold, the seller should check to see whether it is working, has all of its parts or has any damage, said Jeremy Gruman, one of the organizers of the Great Grandview Garage Sale in Vancouver. Sometimes you can sell items missing a piece or in need of repair, but it should be disclosed to the buyer. Assessing what you want to sell should begin long before your sale, so you know the state of what you have to offer, but also so you can start "the emotional work of detaching yourself from these things," Gruman said. "The sooner you start thinking about the stuff you want to get rid of, the better," Gruman said. "I'm a total pack rat and I often realize I don't need this ... and I can put this on the front lawn next weekend and hopefully sell it for $5 and then not have this clutter in my home and in my life." Once you've got your haul together, check what laws your municipality has around garage sales. Some cities have a limit on the number you can host annually or require you to get a permit. If you're able to proceed, pick a date that isn't a long weekend or holiday, Ingram said. Saturdays and Sundays in spring or fall work best, though Fridays are gaining in popularity, she said. When a date is selected, you can start advertising. Share details about your sale on Facebook or other online spaces and make signs you can put up in your neighbourhood. "Have the address big and clear," said Patricia Sawicki, another Winnipeg-area garage sale hopper. "Somebody's not going to get out of their car to go read your sign and write down your address, but if they can see it from their car clearly while they're driving, they're more likely to go." Think about your pricing, too. For some people, that means checking out what items are going for on online marketplaces or at thrift stores. Don't expect to be able to sell items for as much as a retailer would new. "I have seen a lot of garage sales fail," Sawicki said. "If something was $40 at Walmart, they had it for $30. That's not the point of garage saling." Once an item leaves a store, it drops in value by 30 per cent, Ingram said. Knock another 30 to 50 per cent off to arrive at a garage sale price, she suggested. If the item is showing signs of wear or is dented or missing a part, reduce it even further. No matter what you price things at, expect people to scoff and haggle. "People are picky and most of us want something for nothing," she said. That attitude can lead some people who visited the sale in the morning to circle back at the end of the day, hoping to pick something up dirt cheap because you don't want to haul it inside again. While the potential buyer's logic is sound, Ingram said sellers then have to decide how desperate they are to have an item off their hands for far less cash than they expected to get.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Planning and pricing separate good garage sales from bad: deal hunters
Candy Ingram was hooked on garage sales from the first time her parents dragged her along to one. 'I was 20 or 21, with my mom, and I put my hand in a box of jewelry and pulled out a gold ring, so all that got me going,' recalled the Winnipeg woman who now goes to garage sales weekly and has hosted several. In the decades since she struck gold, she's learned it takes much more than a box of jewelry to make a garage sale a hit. Success hinges on planning and pricing — processes she thinks should begin almost as soon as the urge to declutter or earn some extra cash through a garage sale strike. "Make yourself three piles: give away, keep and then, of course, your garbage pile," said Ingram. Whatever doesn't fit in any of those can be ideal for a garage sale — with some caveats. Health Canada says anyone hosting a garage sale is legally responsible to ensure products sold, whether new or used, meet safety standards. That means no selling baby walkers, which were banned in April 2004, cribs made before 1986 or protective sports equipment like helmets more than five years old or without a CSA International safety sticker. Baby gates, car seats, strollers, playpens, toys, kids clothes with drawstrings and jewelry also come with Health Canada requirements for anyone selling them or even giving them away. If an item can be sold, the seller should check to see whether it is working, has all of its parts or has any damage, said Jeremy Gruman, one of the organizers of the Great Grandview Garage Sale in Vancouver. Sometimes you can sell items missing a piece or in need of repair, but it should be disclosed to the buyer. Assessing what you want to sell should begin long before your sale so you know the state of what you have to offer but also so you can start "the emotional work of detaching yourself from these things," Gruman said. "The sooner you start thinking about the stuff you want to get rid of, the better," Gruman said. "I'm a total pack rat and I often realize I don't need this ... and I can put this on the front lawn next weekend and hopefully sell it for $5 and, and then not have this clutter in my home and in my life." Once you've got your haul together, check what laws your municipality has around garage sales. Some cities have a limit on the number you can host annually or require you to get a permit. If you're able to proceed, pick a date that isn't a long weekend or holiday, said Ingram. Saturdays and Sundays in spring or fall work best, though Fridays are gaining in popularity, she said. When a date is selected, you can start advertising. Share details about your sale on Facebook or other online spaces and make signs you can put up in your neighbourhood. "Have the address big and clear," said Patricia Sawicki, another Winnipeg-area garage sale hopper. "Somebody's not going to get out of their car to go read your sign and write down your address but if they can see it from their car clearly while they're driving, they're more likely to go." Think about your pricing, too. For some people, that means checking out what items are going for on online marketplaces or at thrift stores. Don't expect to be able to sell items for as much as a retailer would new. "I have seen a lot of garage sales fail," said Sawicki. "If something was $40 at Walmart, they had it for $30. That's not the point of garage saling." Once an item leaves a store, Ingram said it drops in value by 30 per cent. Knock another 30 to 50 per cent off to arrive at a garage sale price, she suggested. If the item is showing signs of wear or is dented or missing a part, reduce it even further. No matter what you price things at, expect people to scoff and haggle. "People are picky and most of us want something for nothing," she said. That attitude can lead some people who visited the sale in the morning to circle back at the end of the day hoping to pick something up dirt cheap because you don't want to have to haul it inside again. While the potential buyer's logic is sound, Ingram said sellers then have to decide how desperate they are to have an item off their hands for far less cash than they expected to get. If you want to get a fair price, Ingram said, "you do have to learn to bite your tongue." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Reuters
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
China warns automakers to prioritise safety, state media reports
BEIJING, June 20 (Reuters) - Chinese authorities cautioned automakers and power battery manufacturers against marketing exaggerations and fraudulent practices, urging strict adherence to safety standards, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Friday. The warning was issued during a meeting attended by China's industry ministry, market regulator and the national fire and rescue authority, Xinhua reported. The meeting called for an end to the industry's excessive competition and warned of "short-term cost reduction and efficiency" leading to shoddy products.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
World's first all open-door large-scale fire test of 5MWh battery system completed
A Chinese energy storage technology firm has completed the world's first all-open-door large-scale fire test of its ∞Block 5MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The test conducted on Hithium energy storage device offers a high-stakes technical model to inform future product safety standards and set a validation benchmark in this revealed that as thermal runaway and other safety incidents in BESS draw increasing concern, more rigorous and standardized safety testing is urgently needed. The open-door fire test was developed to meet this requirement—featuring four ultimate test challenges that are all open-door combustion, dual 15cm extreme spacing, fire suppression system deactivated, and 100% State of Charge (SOC).The test strictly adhered to UL 9540A, NFPA 855 safety standards and was conducted by UL Solutions, a globally recognized safety certification authority, and witnessed by certified U.S. fire protection engineers and customers. The system structure remained intact, with no fire propagation to any of the three adjacent containers despite undergoing 15 hours of full combustion. This result validates Hithium's multi-layered passive safety architecture and thermal isolation capabilities, even under the most extreme conditions, according to a press revealed that during all open-door combustion, the container doors remained fully open throughout the test, creating an unrestrained combustion environment with intensified oxygen flow—far more severe than traditional closed-door the dual 15cm extreme spacing test, the BESS were placed side by side and back to back with just 15cm spacing. Despite flames over 1300°C, no thermal propagation occurred, proving effective close-range isolation. In one of the tests, all fire suppression systems were deactivated. The system relied solely on passive fire protection to withstand prolonged intense fire, demonstrating autonomous fire resistance and BESS was tested at full capacity to maximize thermal energy release, validating the system's reliability and stability under the harshest conditions. Hithium stressed that the latest achievement highlights HiTHIUM's commitment to innovation and quality, providing valuable insights for future safety standards in the industry. "Moving forward, Hithium will continue to advance safety performance through technology leadership and global collaboration, driving the industry toward a safer and more reliable future," said the company in a statement. Industry experts hailed the trial as a 'qualitative leap' in energy storage fire safety testing, significantly increasing difficulty across fire dynamics, spatial constraints, charge state, and response conditions. The results not only enhance the credibility of safety claims but offer a replicable framework for establishing more practical, real-world safety benchmarks, reported PV Magazine. Hithium ranked 4th globally in energy storage battery shipments in 2024, delivering 35.1 GWh, according to Infolink's latest market data.
