Some New Hair Dryers Offer Improved Electrocution Protection When Immersed In Water

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has learned that some new hand-held hair dryer models now provide protection against electrocution if the hair dryers fall into water with the switch in either the ""on"" or ""off"" position. CPSC Chairman Jacqueline Jones-Smith said, ""The new hair dryers can be identified by the rectangular-shaped plugs with a 'reset' button at the end of the cords. Consumers should look for hair dryers with this feature together with the certification mark of a recognized testing laboratory.""

To comply with the existing voluntary standard, hair dryers manufactured after October 1, 1987, need only protect against electrocution if they fall into water with switches in the "off" position. To be certified as meeting a new voluntary safety standard anticipated to become effective January 1, 1991, however, hair dryers will have to provide protection against electrocution in both "on" and "off" positions. The new models now identified by the CPSC already meet the future voluntary standard.

Chairman Jones-Smith said this information is being made available for two reasons. "First, we want to tell consumers about products that provide an added measure of safety, and second, we want to encourage companies to build safety into their products." She also said, "We want to reduce or eliminate the estimated 17 electrocutions per year caused by hand-held hair dryers falling into water. Approximately 10 of these deaths are to children under 10 years of age."

CPSC cautioned that regardless of the improved protection offered, 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 addition, it should be noted that not all hair dryers being sold provide protection even in the "off" position. There are an estimated 80 million hair dryers still in use that do not provide any protection from electrocution in water. These include pre-October 1987 units and those that are not certified by a recognized testing laboratory as meeting the current voluntary safety standard. CPSC said these hair dryers continue to pose the risk of electrocution in bathrooms and other locations around water where permanent or portable ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) are not used.

For broad protection from electrocution at home, CPSC recommends having GFCIs installed in wall outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, basements, outdoor circuits and garages by an electrician or someone knowledgeable about house wiring, or buying portable plug-in GFCIs that can be moved from outlet to outlet. GFCIs are widely available at building supply houses, electrical supply houses and hardware stores.