Thousands of travel adaptors recalled over safety issues

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has recalled over 7,000 travel adaptors and withdrawn a further 6,245 units over safety issues.

Among the issues identified by the CCPC in product testing were a risk of fire, a risk of electrocution and incorrect product information.

In light of the large-scale product safety investigation and the issues that have been identified, the CCPC is advising holiday makers to exercise caution when using travel adaptors to plug in electrical products.

The CCPC testing was conducted as part of a Europe-wide safety investigation into travel adaptors.

Grainne Griffin, CCPC Director of Communications, said travel adaptors can be "a particularly risky product for consumers because even when an individual product is compliant, if it’s used incorrectly then it becomes unsafe."

She has advised consumers not to use adaptors to plug in "always-on items or extension leads" as this can cause a fire. "Travel adaptors are designed for short-term use only and should be unplugged when not in use" said Ms. Griffin.

The CCPC is continuing to engage with suppliers and other EU product safety bodies to prevent unsafe products from reaching retailers and consumers.

The CCPC is encouraging all consumers to be safety aware this summer and to follow these tips when using a travel adaptor:

a) Use only in the countries listed on the product, its packaging or accompanying safety information.

b) Always plug the appliance into the travel adaptor first, before inserting the travel adaptor into the socket.

c) Don’t overload the adaptor: it’s designed for short-term use only, with low energy consumption devices, not as a replacement for a domestic socket.

d) Unplug the adaptor when you’re finished using it, when you’re leaving the house or your accommodation, and when you’re going to sleep.

Among the travel adaptors which are the subject of the recall notice from the CCPC are: G&BL Universal Multitravel Adapter sold in Harvey Norman & Homesafe Universal USB Travel Adaptor sold by various retailers