New Safety Rule Mandated for Hand-held Hair Dryers

Photo: globaltrucker.com

Whether tourmaline ionic, ceramic or titanium technology; 1000 or 1875 watts; with diffuser, dual voltage, or ion air delivery system – all of the estimated twenty-three million hand-held hair dryers sold annually in the USA now have one thing in common.  They will all be required to have an internal immersion protection device built into them.  Most hair dryers used at home or in hospitality facilities are used over the sink or in close proximity to water.  The chances of the dryer coming in contact with water are very high, introducing a very real danger of electric shock or electrocution.

On Thursday, June 9th, 2011, the Consumer Product Safety Commission used the authority given to them by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), to mandate that any hand-held dryer without such an immersion protection device would be considered a substantial product hazard and could be subject to stricter action on the part of the CPSC. Such action could include stopping incoming shipments of non-compliant dryers at the U.S. port of entry, or issuing mandatory recalls for those products that don’t comply to the nationally accepted safety regulations.  Manufacturers could also face civil and/or criminal penalties for knowingly distributing or selling non-compliant hair dryers.

Photo: xcelerator.com

Currently these dryers have no federally mandated regulations, but most reputable manufacturers adhere to the long-respected voluntary UL859 Standard for Safety for Household Electric Personal Grooming Appliances, and the UL727 Standard for Safety for Commercial Electric Personal Grooming Appliances.  These industry standards already require that protection against shock or electrocution be incorporated into every hand-held hair dryer. The UL859 standard was first developed in 1987 by the leading electrical regulatory organization, Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Its goal was to address the high quantity of deaths, shocks, electrocutions or other hair dryer related incidents that had been occurring.  CPSC data shows that from 1980 and over the next seven years, 128 hair dryer-related deaths or serious injures were reported. From 1988, when the UL859 was firmly in place, to the end of 2010, that trend had significantly been reduced to about 61 incident reports. Improvements to the standard have been made over the years, as well as the introduction of the UL727 in 1994. Only eleven deaths have been reported since 2001. 

These voluntary standards have been so successful in reducing the number of deaths over the past decade, CPSC felt there was no reason to create a duplicative federally mandated standard.

You all know by now, what the next step is….ask before you buy!  Check the packaging and products for the UL standards listed above.  If not immediately visible on the packaging, check the guide, or labels on the product itself.  If in doubt, don’t purchase it.  CPSC and Customs and Border Patrol are doing their part to catch the dangerous dryers at the entry point. Be an informed consumer, aware of what to look for to keep you and your family safe.