Cables manufacturer Pirelli is warning suppliers against selling, and contractors against purchasing, imported Indian glands because they are not CE marked.
The manufacturer states that if products are imported from outside the EU it is the supplier's responsibility to ensure CE compliance and to have and maintain the appropriate technical files for the products.

"We know that some importers are not carrying the technical files for these glands, which means that potentially some wholesalers, distributors and installers are exposing themselves to unnecessary risk," says Jonathan Rawlinson of Pirelli's components business.

Rawlinson goes on to warn that it is only a matter of time before an installation is compromised because of using poor quality products that don't conform to European standards. In those circumstances the wholesaler, supplier and contractor can be held to account for it.

On detailed inspection Pirelli claims to have found weak points in the glands. Brass components within the glands have been manufactured from recycled material, some of which has been recycled so many times that its quality can not be guaranteed.

Ferrous metal particles have also been found within the brass components of the glands. This incorrectly alloyed brass is proven to be significantly weaker when tested for mechanical strength, rendering the glands liable to failure at any time.