The electrical safety council recently put Health and Beauty appliances to the test. Over the next two weeks we are going to examine this testing and the surprising results they found.
This week we are going to start by looking at what they examined and any problems discovered.
After the analysis of the EU injury database, the ESC discovered that there was a need to estimate the safety and compliance of hair and beauty appliances.
The ESC also researched electrical risk categorisation which showed that electrical appliances in the Health and Beauty field are a high priority for investigation to ascertain the level of safety and compliance with standards, as this category often appears on the European Commission’s RAPEX scheme for consumer products being unsafe.
The ESC commissioned an independent laboratory to carry out safety inspection 
and testing procedures on products in this category. The products and number of samples were as follows:
- Hair Clippers, two samples
- Curling Tongs, three samples
- Hair Dryers, four samples
- Massage Devices, three samples
- Hair Straightener’s, five samples
The testing of these samples resulted in only one, of all 17 products tested, passing without any departures or observations being noted.
Eight of the samples failed to meet the requirements of product standards. Some of the problems discovered include;
- A lack of information in the manufacturer’s instructions concerning vulnerable users.
- Incorrect or missing markings including trademarks, etc.
- A loose live pin in the fitted plug.
- Accessible hazardous parts after a drop test.
- A hazardous enclosure temperature.
- Features that appeal to a child, which is likely to be hazardous if played with as a toy.
- Bad internal construction leading to a reduction in creepage and clearance distances.
- Insufficient electrical insulation for protection against access to live parts.
These results are surprising considering these items were bought new from the high street and the internet, and are a worrying result that highlights the importance of regular PAT testing procedures.
Join us next week for part two of this miniseries where we will detail the products tested and the results found for each one.
