Portable Fans (Last Updated 07/09/2007)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff is participating in voluntary standard activities for electric fans. CPSC staff is currently working with Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) Standards Technical Panel (STP) 507, Electric Fans, to address fires associated with portable electric fans and to develop requirements for electric fans used for home-use inflatable children’s toys.
There were an estimated 4,500 fires associated with portable electric fans from 1990-1998. These fires resulted in more than 20 deaths, 270 injuries, and about $55 million in property loss during this nine-year period.
CPSC staff is working with the UL STP to develop new requirements for portable electric fans to address hazards associated with power supply cords, including abrasion, pinching, crushing, and flexing. In addition, staff recommended that the STP adopt new requirements for electric fans for home-use inflatable children’s toys. CPSC staff believes that these fans should include integral shock protection, such as a ground-fault circuit-interrupter. Inflatable children’s toys are used in outdoor environments by children with bare feet, and electrocution incidents have occurred with other electrical products exposed to similar outdoor environments.
Additional Information
Incident Data:
Update on Hazards Associated with Portable Electric Fans (PDF), January 29, 2004
Final Report on Portable Electric Fans – Fires (PDF), May 28, 2002
Amusement Ride Related Injuries and Deaths in the United States, 2005 Update (PDF)
Voluntary Standard and Code Activities:
Correspondence to Underwriters Laboratories March 28, 2007. Re: CPSC staff proposal for electric fans for home-use children's toys (PDF)
Standards Technical Panel for Electric Fans, February 27, 2007 (PDF)
Correspondence to Underwriters Laboratories August 4, 2005. Re: Request for requirements for continuous use inflatable products (PDF)
Correspondence to Underwriters Laboratories March 21, 2003. Re: Comments on UL 507 report (PDF) of teleconference of power supply cord working group
Correspondence to Underwriters Laboratories March 12, 2002. Re: CPSC staff recommendations to UL 507, Electric Fans, for improving portable electric fan power supply cords (PDF)
CPSC Staff Reports, Memoranda and Contracts:
Consumer Product Safety Review (PDF), Summer 2004
Letter to Manufacturers and Importers of Home-Use Inflatable Children's Toys (PDF), January 2004
Final Report on Portable Electric Fan Assessment (PDF), April 18, 2003
Contact Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
For further information concerning UL 507, Standard for Electric Fans, please contact Joe Musso at Joseph.R.Musso@us.ul.com
Contact CPSC
For additional information or to comment, please contact CPSC’s Office of the Secretary at cpsc-os@cpsc.gov
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