How many of you sleep with your phone plugged in to its charger? If your kids are old enough to have phones, do they do the same? One tragic story about phone charger dangers has opened our eyes to the huge risk of doing this.
14-year-old Vietnamese teen Le Thi Xoan went to bed as she normally did, and out of habit, plugged her phone in to charge overnight. Little did she or her heartbroken mother know that she would never wake up again.
Young girl dies of electrocution by a broken charging cable when sleeping
According to reports, it is believed that Xoan, a school girl from Hanoi, was probably charging her iPhone 6. She had placed it next to her on the bed where she was lying and probably came in contact with the broken charging cable while sleeping.
Her parents found her in an unconscious state and took her to the hospital where she breathed her last.
According to the doctors electrocution was the cause of death.
Here’s how she possibly got electrocuted
Le Thi Xoan, victim of phone charger dangers | Image source: Facebook
Hanoi police found the burnt cable on her bed with the torn rubber casing that exposed the live wires. There was also tape that was wrapped around the cable’s damaged portion.
The cable was perhaps not an original Apple cable, as the police noted that it appeared to be shorter than the original 0.5m-long charging device.
Our hearts go out to the devastated family of this young girl.
Phone charger dangers: Things you need to know
Your kids are exposed to all sorts of technological devices. Along with the benefits of technology, it is equally important that you and your children are aware of its risks.
These devices include something most of us, if not all of us, have: our mobile phones. Allow us to open your eyes to common phone charger dangers that all of us are at risk of.
Here are a few important things to keep in mind:
1. Avoid buying cheaper, duplicate options
Fire and safety experts say that cheap and generic phone chargers that are available online pose a huge risk to your safety. They may be cheaper in price, but they may cost you a lot. There’s no guarantee that such products meet safety standards.
Recently, Charity Electrical Safety First based in the UK conducted tests and found out that half of these chargers used sub-standard components. Moreover, none of these met with the safety requirements as detailed by the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations Act.
It’s crucial for your safety — and your child’s safety — that you purchase original products.
2. Avoid using broken or damaged chargers
Parents, make sure there are no broken wires or chargers being used in the house. In the case of Le Thi Xoan, this is what caused her untimely death.
So, remember to replace any broken wires you find. Taping the broken part is never an option. You never know when the tape will come off, exposing the live wires and posing a risk of short circuit or electrocution.
3. Avoid overheating your phone battery
The problem of batteries overheating is more likely in the case of generic chargers.
Once again, experts emphasise choosing original products over generic ones. Apart from that, constant usage and continuous charging of the mobile can also overheat the batteries. Remember that you need to allow your phones to cool down a bit.
4. Avoid overnight charging
Charging your devices through the night and leaving them unattended when charging should be avoided. It is equally important to keep your charging devices in a safe place. For example, charging the phones on a flammable surface or keeping flammable products nearby should be avoided.
Parents, while this story is terribly sad, we hope it has brought you an important lesson in safety for you and your kids. Stay safe!
Sources: BBC News, Straits Times, The Star
Image Source: Straits Times