If you're still working from home and are trying to perfect your makeshift office set-up, chances are high you've invested in a few extension cords and surge protectors to get things up and running. Of course, the whole point of a surge protector is to protect your electrical devices from voltage spiking above a safe threshold. But one product is now been investigated for failing to meet that mark. Manufacturer Schneider Electric has recalled a number of their surge protectors, specifically the Surgeloc Surge Protection Devices, after learning they pose a potential fire risk. Read on for more on the recalled surge protectors, and for another recall that could affect you, know that If You Use This Mouthwash, You Must Get Rid of It Now.
The company advises that “consumers should immediately stop using the recalled surge protection devices and contact Schneider Electric for instructions on receiving a free equivalent replacement surge protector.” To see if yours is included, there's a full list of serial numbers of the affected products, courtesy of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The issue appears to be that Schneider Electric's recalled surge protectors can suffer an “arc event.” According to the experts at Firetrace International, this is “when electrical current jumps a gap in a circuit or between two electrodes (conductors of electricity)." They add that "arcing can produce an arc flash where the electricity flows or discharges along an unintended path. These flashes ignite with particulates in the environment, which can be anything from dust to gas. The arcs can exceed over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit and electrical fires are the likely outcome of these arc flashes.”
Schneider Electric has received one report of an arcing incident that caused smoke damage to the wall in a commercial location. Luckily, no injuries have been reported.
The recall applies to around 47,250 units, most of which are thought to be used in commercial and industrial settings, but may also be included in residential applications. The recalled devices were manufactured from Jan. 1, 2013 through Aug. 24, 2020 and were included in panelboards that retailed between $400 and $1,200. Read on for other products being pulled due to fire risks and other dangers, and for more issues you should be aware of, know that This Pest Could Cause a Fire in Your Home, Experts Say.
1 | Homerygardens extension cord splitters
iStockIn mid-October, the CPSC announced that Homerygardens’ was recalling their Outdoor Extension Cord Splitters due to a potential fire hazard. According to the recall notice, the wiring within the device cannot handle the amp load it purports to be equipped for and lacks adequate safety features.
2 | Harbor Breeze and Great Falls ceiling fans
Shutterstock / kamui29Also this month, two ceiling fans were recalled for presenting serious potential for injury. The recall affected Harbor Breeze's 70-inch Kingsbury ceiling fans and Great Falls' outdoor ceiling fans from Westinghouse Lighting (about 280,000 and 3,000 total units, respectively). According to the CPSC, the globe light in the Harbor Breeze fans "can fall from its housing, posing impact and laceration injury hazards," while the Great Falls fan's blades can "crack and break, posing an impact injury hazard." And if you want to keep yourself safe, A New Study Says This Might Be the Most Dangerous Thing in Your Home.
3 | Peloton bike pedals
ShutterstockAfter hundreds of reported breaks and 16 injuries, Peloton recalled a huge number of bike pedals. The company revealed on Oct. 14 that 27,000 of its bikes fitted with PR70P pedals were being recalled because the pedals can snap and injure riders.
4 | Crate and Barrel and CB2 bookcases
ShutterstockBoth the Crate and Barrel Danish tall bookcases and CB2 Trace bookcases were recalled on Oct. 21, due to reports of the furniture collapsing when full. The CPSC received five reports of the Danish tall bookcase's legs breaking, but there have been no reported injuries thus far. Approximately 2,100 of these bookcases were sold between June 2017 and Jan. 2020. As for the CB2 Trace bookcases, there have been 11 reports of the bookcase collapsing, but luckily, also no injuries. That recall affects approximately 407 bookcases sold in the U.S. and Canada between June 2019 through July 2020.
5 | CB2 dining tables
ShutterstockIt wasn't just Crate and Barrel and CB2 bookcases being recalled recently. The company also recalled the concrete CB2 Bordo and Bordo XL dining tables on Oct. 7. The CPSC reports that the tables' legs can become unsteady and collapse when moved. Thus far, four collapses and one laceration injury have been reported regarding the Bordo tables, approximately 1,120 of which were sold between August 2018 and June 2020. And for more important safety information delivered to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
6 | Bed Bath & Beyond lounge chairs
iStockBed Bath & Beyond's Salt lounge chairs were recalled on Oct. 21, after it was discovered that they have a locking mechanism that can disengage, putting users at risk of a fall. Out of the approximately 10,330 Salt chairs sold in the U.S. and Canada between April 2020 and Aug. 2020, CPSC has received 19 reports of chairs breaking, as well as four reports of injuries from falls as a result. And for the areas where dangers seem to lurk at every turn, This Is the Most Dangerous State in the U.S.
