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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
recommends that consumers buy hair dryers that comply
with the voluntary standard (effective January 1, 1991) that
gives added protection against electrocution.
To comply with the voluntary standard, hand-held hair dryers must protect against electrocution if they fall into water with the switch in either the "on" or "off" position. CPSC cautions that regardless of the improved protection, under no circumstances should consumers use a hair dryer where it could come in contact with water. Electricity and water are a potentially deadly combination, and in their presence children should always be supervised. In the early 1980's an average of 18 electrocutions each year were caused by hand-held hair dryers falling or being pulled into water. That number has fallen to approximately 4 deaths per year since the voluntary standard to prevent electrocution went into effect. However, the CPSC |
estimates that there are millions of hair dryers still in use that do not provide any protection from electrocution in water.
These older hair dryers continue to pose the risk of electrocution
in bathrooms and other locations around water
where permanent or portable ground-fault circuit-interrupters
(GFCls) are not used. Some hair dryers made
before 1991 provide only partial protection from electrocution,
in that they provide protection only when the switch is
in the "off" position. These hair dryers may still be sold.
CPSC encourages consumers to purchase the newer hair
dryers that comply with the voluntary standards and thus
provide the added measure of safety.
For broad protection from electrocution at home, CPSC recommends having GFCls installed in wall outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, basements, outdoor circuits, and garages by an electrician, or buying portable plug-in GFCls that can be moved from outlet to outlet. GFCls are widely available at building supply houses, electrical supply houses, and hardware stores. |
