In an email correspondence between Geddy’s Mom founder Dr. Sarah Shell and Public Health Advisor for the UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Ashley Martin writes “it is a very real risk when anyone comes into contact with the end of a lead plugged into an electric supply of an electrocution or burn and this will be exacerbated by the presence of moisture in the mouth”. Incidents of these sorts, though rare, are either life threatening or disfiguring. Martyn Allen, technical director at Electrical Safety First, told The Telegragh following a safety study of chargers purchased online: “It is extremely concerning that 49 out of 50 UK chargers we tested failed basic safety checks”. He goes on to tell the Telegraph that anyone purchasing an iPhone charger from an online marketplace or at an independent discount store is taking a serious risk with their safety. “The majority of chargers we tested had the potential to deliver a lethal electrical shock or cause a fire.”
This correspondence was in response to the article below and attached, printed in The Telegraph:
iPhone Charger Safety Test Results
Electrical Safety First, who conducted a series of safety tests on fake iPhone chargers purchased in the UK, found that 98 per cent of the chargers tested could cause a fire or deliver a lethal electric shock. Of the 50 brands tested, all but one failed one or more of the tests and more than one in three chargers failed every part of the safety screening – a worrying prospect for anyone who has purchased a replacement charger online. In some cases the chargers came from sellers who claimed they were genuine Apple products. It is not the first survey of its kind to yield such concerning results. The US consumer product safety organization, Underwriters Laboratory tested 400 counterfeit and lookalike Apple chargers last year and found a 99 per cent failure rate. Electrical Safety First also tested 14 EU chargers as part of this research. All 14 failed all of the safety tests in every respect. “It is extremely concerning that 49 out of 50 UK chargers we tested failed basic safety checks,” said Martyn Allen, technical director at Electrical Safety First. “Anyone purchasing an iPhone charger from an online marketplace or at an independent discount store is taking a serious risk with their safety. “The majority of chargers we tested had the potential to deliver a lethal electrical shock or cause a fire.”
by Margi Murphy, 2017
Contact us today to learn more about how you can protect your child from electrical shocks.