Beyond safety

Engineers should consider the legal and perception implications of counterfeit electrical products.

By Tom Grace, brand protection manager, Eaton’s Electrical Sector Americas November 19, 2013

All across the world people are exposed to the threatening implications of counterfeit electrical products. From economic consequences to health and safety hazards, counterfeit electrical products have the potential to cause harm to manufacturers, contractors, or customers.

In addition to economic and safety risks, counterfeit electrical products also present serious legal and perception implications that can create problematic issues for individuals involved in the procurement, design, and installation of the electrical product and its environment.

In the event that a counterfeit electrical product causes harm to an individual or property, investigation and litigation can take much longer to complete than the 24-hour news cycle allows, potentially damaging the brand reputation of those associated with the project.

The risk of being associated with an unsafe electrical event has real implications for any company.

As the designers of electrical work environments, consulting and specifying engineers can consider specifying that only authentic electrical equipment from authorized resellers be used in the building. This will not only provide the contractors with the assurance of genuine goods, but also the customer.

How do you recommend that anti-counterfeiting language be written into specifications? As a specifying and consulting engineer, are there other ways that you can proactively combat the use of counterfeit products?

Please share your experiences and comments below.


As brand protection manager for Eaton’s Electrical Sector, Tom Grace oversees counterfeit awareness, training, and prevention. This involves building awareness of the risks that counterfeit electrical products present to personal safety and the economy with end customers, contractors, inspectors, and electrical resellers.