Consumer Product Safety

Press release 2011.05.26[Preventing Fires Involving Electric Fans]

Preventing Fires Involving Electric Fans

National Institute of Technology and Evaluation
Product Safety Technology Center
May 26, 2011

NITE (National Institute of Technology and Evaluation; President: Itaru Yasui) gave a presentation for the media on preventing accidents involving induction cooking stoves as shown in the attached materials

1. Press release

Release date:
May 26, 2011
Title:
Preventing Fires Involving Electric Fans
Publisher:
Product Safety Technology Center
Summary:
Product accidents reported to the Product Safety Technology Center at NITE include 157 cases*1 involving electric fans in the five years from fiscal 2005 to fiscal 2009. Among these accidents, one case involved a casualty, one case involved severe injuries, and 47 cases where a room or wider area catching fire*2, including two cases where the building was completely destroyed. According to the investigation*3 by NITE, most of them were caused by degradation of products (aging deterioration) after long-term use*4, accounting for 74 out of 157 cases, which is 47% or almost half the total.
Because accidents involving electric fans have tended to concentrate in July and August in the past, NITE promoted consumer awareness to prevent these accidents in June and August last year. The power saving measures introduced after the Great Earthquake to deal with the power shortages increased the demand for electric fans. It is also anticipated that more people than usual may take out old electric fans and use them, posing the risk of serious damage if they have deteriorated with age. Accordingly, NITE has decided to call consumer attention to preventing accidents involving electric fans.
*1
Number of accidents excluding overlapping cases or non-applicable cases at April 30, 2011
*2
Fire in part of a building, such as a pillar or floor
*3
Under the fiscal 2007 revisions to the Consumer Product Safety Act, serious product accidents must be reported by the manufacturer or the importer to the government, and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry will instruct NITE to investigate.
*4
Accidents which are regarded as being caused by a deterioration in performance after prolonged use (rough standard: 10 years) under ordinary conditions of use
Press briefing paper in Japanese

For more information;
National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE)
Product Safety Technology Center, Product Safety Investigation Division

Contact us

 Consumer Product Safety Public Relations Division  Product Safety Technology Center  National Institute of Technology and Evaluation
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