Lighting guide

How to check a hexagon light is certified for Australia

A light sold in Australia should carry the RCM mark and plug straight into an Australian power point. Four quick checks tell you before you buy.

RCM the mark to look for
Four checks before you buy
A few minutes to look it up

The short version

  • Look for the RCM mark, a tick inside a triangle, on the light and its box.
  • Check it comes on an earthed 3-pin Australian plug, with no adapter.
  • Search the business behind the mark on the national register.
  • Buy from a business in Australia that backs the light with a written warranty.
  • ULTRABEAM™ lights pass all four checks. Look up our registration.

What certified means in Australia

Australia sets its own electrical safety standards. A national scheme, the Electrical Equipment Safety System, keeps a public register of the businesses behind electrical goods.

  • The RCM mark shows a product meets Australian electrical safety and EMC rules.
  • A business must be registered on the national register to use the RCM mark.
  • Anyone can look up a business's registration on the register, at no cost.

Pro tip

The mark is the start. The register is where you confirm the business behind it.

Why it matters on a garage ceiling

A garage light can run for hours a day over your car and your bench. Certification shows it was checked for safe use on Australian power.

  • It was built for Australian voltage and Australian power points.
  • A business in Australia is on record as responsible for it.
  • Its record on the register can be checked by you or your electrician.

Find the RCM mark

The RCM is a tick inside a triangle. Look for it on the light's label, its box and its paperwork.

  • Check the label on the light itself, as well as the listing.
  • Ask the seller for a photo of the label if the listing does not show it.
  • The mark should sit beside the business name or its details.
  • The label should also show the wattage and the voltage, such as 220 to 240 V.
  • A label that shows 110 V only was made for another market.

Check the plug

A light made for Australia comes on an earthed 3-pin plug. It fits an Australian power point with nothing in between.

  • A two-pin plug with a travel adapter means the light was made for another country.
  • Check the lead reaches your power point from where the light will hang.
  • A plug-in light needs no hardwiring. A new power point is a job for a licensed electrician.

Look up the business on the national register

Every business that puts the RCM mark on a product is listed on the national register. Search it by name or registration number.

  • Open the national register and choose Advanced Search.
  • Choose Responsible Supplier, the register's name for a registered business.
  • Enter the business name or its registration number.
  • Check the status reads Active.

Check who stands behind it

A warranty is worth what the business behind it can honour. Buy from one in Australia you can reach.

  • A written warranty that says how long it lasts and what it covers.
  • A business name in Australia with a way to reach it, such as an email address.
  • Stock held in Australia, ready to send.
  • Spare parts on hand, like replacement tubes and connectors.

Plug-in or hardwired, the checks are the same

Some hexagon lights plug into a power point. Others are wired into the circuit by a licensed electrician.

  • A plug-in light needs a power point within reach of its lead.
  • A hardwired light needs a licensed electrician to connect it.
  • Both need the RCM mark from a business on the national register.

Our lights pass all four checks

We ran our ULTRABEAM lights through the same four checks. Our registration is on the public register for anyone to see.

  • RCM marked, on an earthed 3-pin Australian plug.
  • Our registration E10735 reads Active on the national register.
  • EMC tested against Australian and New Zealand standards.
  • 5-year warranty on the LEDs and every electrical part.
  • In stock in Melbourne, with spare parts on hand.

Pro tip

See our registration and the steps to look it up on our certification page.

A cheap light sold online gets the same four checks

Many hexagon lights look alike in photos. The four checks show what sits behind the picture.

  • Look for the RCM mark in the listing photos. Ask for a picture of the label.
  • Ask which plug it ships with.
  • Ask for the business's registration number, then look it up.
  • Ask where it ships from, how long the warranty runs and who honours it.
  • Ask whether you can buy a single tube or connector later.

Pro tip

A business that meets the rules can answer every one of these in writing.

Certification questions

Electrical goods sold in Australia must meet Australian safety standards. Look for the RCM mark from a business on the national register.

It is the Regulatory Compliance Mark, a tick inside a triangle. It shows the product meets Australian electrical safety and EMC rules. A business must be registered to use it.

Open the national register and choose Advanced Search. Choose Responsible Supplier and enter the business name or number. Then check the status reads Active.

Open the national register

Yes. It is RCM marked, on an earthed 3-pin plug. Our registration E10735 reads Active on the national register.

Look up our registration

It is the national scheme for electrical safety in Australia. Its public register lists the businesses registered to sell electrical goods.

Open the national register

A photo cannot tell you. Run the same four checks: the mark, the plug, the registration and the warranty.

For a garage, yes. Many tubes spread the light, so it is even from corner to corner. No hard shadows fall under a bonnet or a bench.

See the lighting kits

The RCM mark, the business's details, the voltage and the wattage. A label that shows 110 V only was made for another market.

Yes. Search our registration number E10735 on the national register. It reads Active.

See our certification page

A plug-in light needs no hardwiring, as it plugs into a power point. A new power point or a wall switch is a job for a licensed electrician.

Look for a written warranty from a business in Australia. Ours is 5 years on the LEDs and every electrical part.

Stock held in Australia means a short wait and a business here to deal with. ULTRABEAM kits are in stock in Melbourne.

Certified for Australia, in stock in Melbourne

Pick a kit sized for your garage or draw your own in the designer. You can also send us the room size and we will help you choose.

See the lighting kits Design your own