Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation is collaborating with the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) to spearhead a public awareness campaign focused on the dangers of counterfeit electrical products that can cause life-threatening disasters and result in lost productivity for customers and legitimate manufacturers.
The effort will focus on the danger of counterfeit electrical products as part of a broader outreach effort during National Electrical Safety Month this May. Eaton’s goal is to educate key audiences about counterfeit products and the dangers they pose in residential and industrial settings as well as their adverse economic impact.
“Eaton is committed to anti-counterfeiting technologies and programs. We are striving to protect our customers from counterfeits that exist in the new global economy,” said Tom Grace, manager, Anti-Counterfeiting Initiatives, Eaton’s Electrical Sector. “All forms of counterfeiting are unacceptable, but electrical product counterfeiting has dangerous implications for industry and the public.”
Consumers and communities can protect themselves against dangerous and defective counterfeit electrical products by using only established vendors and authorized retailers; exercising caution in online transactions; checking for certification marks; scrutinizing labels and packaging; avoiding products that lack any identifying branding label or affiliation; avoiding ‘bargains’ that seem too good to be true; and seeking information online about product recalls.
“Eaton’s leadership role in educating the public about the dangers of fraudulent electrical products is helping us to reduce serious threats to public health and safety,” added Brett Brenner, president, ESFI. “Education can save lives and prevent injuries and property damage.”
Eaton collaborates with electrical manufacturer associations, the supply channel and government agencies worldwide to raise awareness of counterfeit electrical products and enforce anti-counterfeiting measures. Eaton is committed to continually investing in anti-counterfeiting technologies and programs to protect its customers from counterfeit products and the economic impact of sub-standard goods in the new global economy. Eaton is in the process of developing global authentication measures for products and anti-counterfeiting programs that combine executive, legal, technical and sales resources. For additional information about the dangers counterfeit electrical products, visit Eaton’s site at www.eaton.com/counterfeit.
Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader in power distribution, power quality, control and industrial automation products and services. Eaton’s global electrical product lines, including Cutler-Hammer, Moeller, Powerware, Holec, MEM, Santak, and MGE Office Protection Systems provide customer-driven PowerChain Management solutions to serve the power system needs of the data center, industrial, institutional, government, utility, commercial, residential, and OEM markets worldwide.
Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with 2008 sales of $15.4 billion. Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 75,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries.
