Compliance Folder Management Pty Ltd (CFM) is the expert when it comes to assisting our clients with all their ongoing documentation and compliance obligations. We have been assisting our local and international clients for over twenty years and have built a reputation for providing a superior service.
CFM works closely with clients to audit, store and maintain their documentation to comply with ongoing compliance and record keeping, in-line with:
- The ACMA regulatory framework for all electronic products
- The Electrical Equipment Safety System (Electrical Regulations) and
- ACCC recommendations
We can assist with new or existing products that are to be supplied onto the Australian market by:
- Reviewing test reports and associated documentation
- Acting as an Agent for international suppliers
- Registering products on the ERAC/EESS database
- Act as an Authorised Agent for ACMA and Authorised Representative for EESS
- Organising any additional testing through an appropriate test laboratory
- Apply on behalf of the client for Certificates of Conformity and Suitability from an Accredited Certifier
- Store Compliance Folders
- Manage Compliance and technical folders by monitoring time frames and confirming with clients any changes that may need to be made to the Compliance or technical folders in order to remain up to date and/or compliant
- Assist and/or manage product recall processes and requirements – working with the client and government agencies to minimise any potential impact
The Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM)
The new Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) process does not change the compliance requirements for electronic and electrical equipment. Testing, test reports, standards, approvals, compliance levels and Declarations of Compliance have not altered and are still mandatory requirements as per previous arrangements for electrical safety approvals and Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) requirements. The most significant change is only the logo and the removal of the ACMA Suppliers Number.
The RCM system is not similar to the CE process. The RCM system requires that only Australian or New Zealand importers and manufacturers have the authority to sign the Declaration of Conformity, and can authorize the placement of the RCM logo onto products. Manufacturers and exporters outside of Australia and New Zealand do not have authority to apply or place the RCM logo directly onto the product, nor can they sign the RCM Declaration of Conformity.
The changes relate to the registration of the Australian importers and Australian manufacturers, the labelling of equipment with the RCM, the terminology used with electrical safety, and legal responsibility for compliance being with the Australian importers and Australian manufacturers for electrical safety and ACMA matters. For some items, tighter evidence of conformity is required.
The system is based on a common national database used by the Electrical Regulatory Authority Council (ERAC) and the ACMA in Australia, and Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) in NZ for the purpose of registration.
In summary, the ERAC RCM system provides:
- a registration of Australian importers and manufacturers that supply electrical and electronic devices, and
- for those Australian importers and manufacturers that supply mains powered Prescribed Electrical Items EESS Level 2 & 3, (with level 1 being voluntary) the system links those Australian entities with the approved items listed in the National Approval Database.
One Stop Compliance Management
Compliance Folder Management Pty Ltd provide a compliance folder service to meet the Australian Communications & Media Authority’s regulatory needs for RCM Labelling of electrical and electronic products destined for the Australian market (and for the Radio Spectrum Management Group of New Zealand).
The ACMA recently update their RCM regulations and compliance labelling requirements, and our service aligns itself to the ACMA regulations as listed in their latest Labelling Notices. Similarly, this service will assist with New Zealand requirements. (Please visit www.comtest.com.au for the latest update information on the requirements for the new RCM.
It is a requirement that a compliance folder be prepared and held by an Australian entity (such as Compliance Folder Management Pty Ltd), including a signed Declaration of Conformity.
To provide this complete service, a written agreement must be established which lists the details necessary to also meet the ACMA’s Agency Agreement requirements.
Compliance Folder Management Pty Ltd offer a one off fee for the process of compiling your compliance folder, preparing the Declaration of Conformity, management and holding of the compliance folder. There are no ongoing fees if the product remains unchanged.
If the product is modified, there is a fee to update the compliance folder and and associated documentation. Any changes will need to be reviewed and assessed to identify if any additional testing or documentation is required.
The objective of the agreement is to:
- establish responsibilities between the manufacturer/supplier and Compliance Folder Management,
- describe the services provided, and
- detail the cost and charges for that service.
In Australia only an Australian company or person may establish an Australian Compliance folder to meet the requirements of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and sign an Australian Declaration of Conformity.
The ACMA compliance folders are for all aspects of the ACMA requirements including:
Telecommunications – Customer equipment
EMC – Electromagnetic Compatibility
RF Spectrum – Frequency / Band Allocation
EMR – Human Exposure/SAR
Compliance Folder Management Pty Ltd has established a facility to provide compliance folder services for international manufacturers that have not established an Australian entity, but would like to sell products in Australia.
This service provides the ability to have one or many Australian importers with only one organisation dealing with the product compliance for Australia; this requires an Agency Agreement for ACMA Compliance. In particular, this service provides for multiple Australian importers with minimal compliance effort. This approach simplifies the labelling requirements with only one registered Australian supplier used for all importers.
The regulatory process for suppliers is defined in the ACMA’s various labelling notices for telecommunications, EMC, RF and EMR. In simple terms, Australian Suppliers are required to be registered on the ERAC website for Australian Communications and Media Authority as a supplier of electrical and electronic products and obtain an Australian ERAC suppliers number. Only Australian companies or individuals can register with the ACMA.
The Australian Supplier is defined as an:
- Australian Manufacturer, or
- Australian Importer, or
- Australian Agent (Agency agreement must be in place with international company with direct sales and/or when there are local suppliers, a notice of compliance agency recognition.)
This information is required by the Australian Government to ensure there is traceability back to an Australian supplier if the product is subject to investigation, audit or recall.
1. Complete service
In this service, CFM:
- Prepares the compliance folder
- Completes and signs the Declaration of Conformity
- Provides the ERAC suppliers number for CFM
- Holds the compliance folder at CFM premises
- Manages product variations and design change file updates, and
- Manages all ACMA audit matters
The key benefit is that Australian compliance matters are managed altogether, even though there may be more than one Australian importer.
2. Assistance for individual Australian distributors
This is a simple service where CFM:
- Prepares the compliance folder
- Completes the Declaration of Conformity for Australian Importers, and
- Distributes the compliance folder to the Australian importers
This option has a lower cost than option 1, but will require a separate compliance folder for each Australian importer.
Compliance Folder Management Pty Ltd can assist with all steps in the process; including NATA accredited testing, preparing the necessary paperwork and completely managing the compliance folder.
Compliance Folder Management Pty Ltd has established a facility to provide compliance folder services for Overseas exporters and Australian importers/manufacturers that are not familiar with the ACMA compliance folder requirements of Australia.
This service provides the Overseas exporters and Australian importers/manufacturers the ability to outsource the preparation of the ACMA compliance folder or the complete management of your compliance folder to Compliance Folder Management Pty Ltd. In particular, this service ensures that the ACMA compliance folders are complete and will pass an Audit by the ACMA. The complete compliance folder management service requires a formal ACMA compliance folder management Agency Agreement to be prepared and signed.