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HOUSEHOLDS have been urged to check their electronics for a three-pronged ‘clover leaf’ plug that is a potential fire risk.
Charity Electrical Safety First has issued fresh warning after more than half of the UK public shopped for Christmas tech gifts on online marketplaces.
The charity is concerned that dangerous gifts will unknowingly be being used by households up following the Christmas period.
“If the Christmas gadget you received this year came with what we call a clover leaf-shaped plug, stop using it immediately,” Giuseppe Capanna, Product Safety Engineer at Electrical Safety First, said in a statement.
Clover leaf plugs are smaller in size than traditional UK plugs, which fails to meet legal requirements.
The plugs are frequently found to be missing a fuse, which risks a potential fire.
The plug pins are typically too close to the edges of the plug mold, which puts the user at risk of electric shock when putting them in or out of a mains socket.
These types of plugs have been found on a variety of popular electrical products, including hair dryers, e-bike and e-scooter chargers, hair straighteners and heaters, according to the charity.
“Your plug is the most obvious tell-tale sign as to whether your product is compliant and safe,” Capanna added.
“A gift you received or a bargain you might have bagged should be fused so that the device can cut out in the event of a fault.
“It should also have a distance of 9.5mm between the plug pins and the edge of the plug.
“If the plug attached to your device is clover in shape such as the one in the image, stop using it immediately and return it.”
Capanna notes that the best way to avoid bringing these plugs into the home is to only purchase from reputable high street retailers.
How to spot a substandard plug
Electrical Safety First has outlined four ways to identify if your Christmas or sales gadget is a fire or electric shock risk:
- Check the plug: if your item comes with a clover leaf shaped plug, stop using it immediately.
- Ensure your plug has a fuse so that it can cut out in the event of a fault.
- Look out for spelling mistakes on packaging and manuals, good manufacturers will pay attention to the small details and not make these mistakes.
- If your gadget comes with a foreign plug and a travel adaptor don’t use it, it’s a sign that the seller has not taken the time to comply with UK standards as all products sold into the UK market are required to come with a compliant UK plug.
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