Consumer Product Safety

Calling Attention related to Ignition Accident of Hair Drier

April 26, 2001

Calling Attention related to Ignition Accident of Hair Drier

In the accident information collected by the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), there was a report of an accident of a hair drier started to burn after using it. The NITE performed tests on the appropriate product to find that problems are a defective in a switch part of this product and a using method of a user. To prevent a similar accident from occurring again, the NITE releases the information of the appropriate accident.

1. Accident Occurrence Situations

After using the drier, which was bought approximately four years ago, the user turned off the switch and hung it on a metal hook without pulling out a power plug from the outlet. Approximately 10 minutes later, smoke came out from the hair drier body and started burning. The fire was extinguished by watering, however, the drier body and a part of the doors and windows were burnt.

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2. Accident Item

Brand Name:
Hair Drier
Model:
prosalon WP - 2
Producing Nation:
Taiwan
Selling Period:
From June 27th,1985 to July 27th, 1994
Sales Performance:
43, 200 driers
Importing Firm:
Sanshin Co., Ltd.

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3. Origins of Accident

According to the inquiry, the slide switch was returned just midway and not completely turned off, the user misunderstood the state of its stopped at the medium position for the state of its turned off, and left the hair drier with the switch left midways.

The electrical contact of this slide switch was also partially poor so that in the switch position where the user left it, the heater was energized, while the blowing fan motor was not energized. The heater was heated with the blowing fan non-rotated so that the lead wire overheated, the coating was melt and short circuited so as to ignite to combustibles.

Though the hair drier is provided with a device for preventing the temperature from raising too much, the hair drier was left with its hung on the metal hook, which prevents the heat from being transmitted to the prevention device and the prevention device could not functioned well.

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4. Matters Required Attention

Surely turn off the switch after using it not only by sensing to turn it off but also by visually confirming it. Surely pull out a power plug from the outlet after using it.

Contact us

 Consumer Product Safety Public Relations Division  Product Safety Technology Center  National Institute of Technology and Evaluation
Phone number:+81-6-6612-2066
Fax number:+81-6-6612-1617
Address:1-22-16 Nankokita, Suminoe-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 5590034, Japan MAP