An Approved Cables Initiative (ACI) investigation has led to more than 11 million metres of cable manufactured by Turkish company, Atlas Kablo, being recalled from the UK market, following the suspension of two of its product certification licences.
The suspension by BASEC (British Approvals Service for Cables) on 17th May of Atlas Kablo’s product certification licence has been followed this week by the announcement that Atlas Kablo’s HAR scheme certification licence for H05VV-F flexible cables from the Turkish Standards Institution, TSE, has also been suspended. TSE is still to advise about the quantities of cabling involved in the latest suspension.
Reports of faulty cabling from concerned contractors earlier this year led the ACI to test samples of product from the Turkish cable manufacturer. The samples were found to have insufficient copper leading to high conductor resistance and did not comply with appropriate British Standards. Independent testing by BASEC later confirmed the ACI’s findings and led to the suspension of Atlas Kablo’s BASEC licence for a serious decline in quality across its range of products.

Atlas Kablo Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi of Turkey has violated their BASEC product certification licence which has now been suspended by BASEC with immediate effect and until further notice. They are better known in the UK as Atlas Kablo who supply a number of cable distributors and wholesalers with PVC house wiring, flex and conduit wires.
Samples of their defective cable were passed to BASEC for investigation by the ACI, after ACI had tested them and found they did not comply with appropriate British Standards. BASEC then carried out their own independent tests, which confirmed the findings of the ACI.

September 2009 – Neil Ancell, joint Managing Director of Tratos Ltd. has been appointed to represent the BCA – British Cables Association on the BASEC board.
His innate knowledge and experience of most aspects of electrical cable manufacturing, gleaned through over 30 years with Greengate Cables; Sterling Greengate and latterly North West Cables Ltd until the acquisition by Tratos,was deemed an obvious benefit to both organisations.

BASEC has issued a public warning notice about certain cables which have been sold into the UK market.
The cables are not BASEC approved and do not carry the BASEC mark.
The cables are multi-core PVC sheathed XLPE insulated steel wire armoured cables, of type BS 5467, in various sizes that are commonly used for low voltage power distribution.
BASEC testing of these cables has indicated a number of serious faults including excessive conductor resistance and excessive armour resistance. The effective safe conductor size of the cables is up to two standard sizes smaller than that marked on the cables, which may result in overloading. The armour resistance may result in ineffective earthing.