Apple investigates electrocution by iPhone report

[NiHaoMike]

What about require all new USB chargers to have a ground pin?

[WBB]

What about require all new USB chargers to have a ground pin?

What about not fiddling with devices that are plugged into the mains while in the tub? Too much to ask?

[AndyC_772]

It shouldn't matter. All USB chargers ARE required to be safe, to be marked as safe, and for documentary evidence to be available to prove that they're safe - here in Europe, at least.

If they're not, then someone somewhere is breaking the law, or is extraordinarily unlucky, or is extraordinarily stupid.

None of these cases are addressed by changing the law.

[Corporate666]

Absolutely. The legislative protection already exists, at least here in the UK - the entity which places a product on the EU market is responsible for ensuring that it conforms to all relevant European directives, that it bears a CE mark to indicate compliance, and that sufficient documentary proof of compliance exists in the event that a product is called into question.

In other words, it's already illegal to sell an unsafe charger - and as you say, what's truly remarkable is just how infrequently even the worst chargers out there actually do result in someone being hurt.

There was a post just a page ago or so in this thread of an eBay seller who has posted CE certs but is selling chargers that can't be CE compliant.

It becomes like the illegal immigrant employment issue in the USA... where the person responsible for doing the checking has a vested interest in "not checking too thoroughly", if you know what I mean.  They just need plausible deniability - to be able to say "as far as we knew, it was CE certified - we even requested copies of the certs!".  But it only affects sellers who are on the up-and-up and honest.  The dishonest ones won't care and will just continue to sell junk. 

[AndrejaKo]

Here's the site  mentioned few posts back with list of products banned in EU: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/alerts/main/index.cfm?event=main.listNotifications&CFID=1529690&CFTOKEN=32149446&jsessionid=089cf67680a9aa0e22f644765e3e781b7d4b . There are reports for every week and a search function. Keyword seems to be RAPEX.

From time to time I read the reports. It's interesting that it's usually same type of products that are getting withdrawn from the market. Dangerous light chains, swimming suits, children toys with small parts, vehicles... One thing I did notice is that various kinds of cheap power supplies aren't as common as I'd expect.

Also from time to time, even big names and products from usually face countries (USA, Japan, Germany) find themselves on the list.

[Jay_Diddy_B]

Hi group,

One of Apple's responses to this is to offer to sell you an original charger for $10.00 for each Apple device that you have.

http://www.apple.com/support/usbadapter-takeback/

Jay_Diddy_B

[alm]

Sounds like a fair response to me. Apple is obviously not responsible for unsafe third-party power supplies, but they offer to exchange it for a genuine one for a reasonable price.

[amyk]

Sounds like a fair response to me. Apple is obviously not responsible for unsafe third-party power supplies, but they offer to exchange it for a genuine one for a reasonable price.

It's unusually kind of them to offer a trade-in discount... but it somewhat reminds me of Microsoft's anti-piracy strategy.

And even at $10 they're probably still making a big profit on them.