Scary e-mail re electrocution

[securespark]

Got this e-mail from Mrs Secure. What do you think?


Subject: FW: Cell phone warning

DO NOT THINK IT IS A JOKE E- MAIL

Nasty! I'll be unplugging my phone in future!

I HAVE DONE THIS MYSELF! I bet you have too!!

Cell phone plugged in??

IMPORTANT -

A few days ago, a person was recharging his mobile phone at home.

Just at that time a call came in and he answered it with the
Instrument still connected to the outlet.

After a few seconds electricity flowed into the cell phone unrestrained and the young man was thrown to the ground with a heavy thud.

His parents rushed to the room only to find him unconscious, with a weak heartbeat and burnt fingers.


He was rushed to the nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Cell phones are a very useful modern invention.

However, we must be aware that it can also be an instrument of death.

Never use the cell phone while it is hooked to the electrical outlet!

FORWARD THIS TO THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER IN YOUR LIFE!!!!
Please let everyone know about this - I have used the phone while it is plugged in - I won't from now on!!!!!!


Surely there must have been a fault on the charger?

Look it up for gory pix...

 

[RF Lighting]

Load of poo.

 

[GaryMo]

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/cell-phone-charging.html

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_cell_phone_electrocuted.htm

 

[securespark]

Yeah, you beat me to it. I've just been here too.

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/cell-phone-charging.html

Sorry guys!

 

[1john]

prob burnt his fingers from texting so fast. amazing what some people will believe mind.

 

[ColJack]

didn't apple have to recall a load of Ipods and Iphones because the batteries started exploding?

 

[disinfo]

didn't apple have to recall a load of Ipods and Iphones because the batteries started exploding?

And a certain mainstream manafacturer of laptops as the lithium cells exploded.

 

[bernardgreen]

And a certain mainstream manafacturer of laptops as the lithium cells exploded.

Not "exploded"... they just overheated and destroyed their cases due to un-expectedly high excessive current flow.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeWq6rWzChw

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ericmark]

Most phones are charged with switch mode power supplies marked

Isolation sign

• ericmark
• 12 Mar 2009
• 10

as are most computers, Videos, DVD's, TV's etc. Of course the power supply could go wrong but extremely unlikely.

I have had issues when inspecting and testing in service electrical equipment where the

Isolation sign

• ericmark
• 12 Mar 2009
• 10

sign is missing or obscured which is common with PC's.

Although the PC is not hand held the mouse, keyboard, and many USB devices are and we have no idea where the power supply was made and if that company had type tested the supply to EU standards.

So in the same way as a standard lamp without the

marking is failed so we must fail any power supply without the

Isolation sign

• ericmark
• 12 Mar 2009
• 10

mark.

However with a £5 standard lamp failing does not cause many ripples but with a £300 PC to fail it does. And from what I am lead to understand when power supplies are fitted they come with a sticker for outside of PC and in most cases lazy builder just did not stick it on. Dismantling the PC will often expose the sticker on power supply.

But be honest how often do we look! We see adaptors like these

and think nothing of them but only the left hand one is allowed in UK market.

As I look at all the little transformers in my house it is surprising how many are marked as double insulated but not as isolation transformers so although they do not have any exposed parts I suppose under fault conditions (transformer burn out) they may allow LV onto the ELV output and as long as the output does not have exposed parts it would comply.

I guess this is why Class III items are still tested? However when looking at a label printer running on batteries I do think "Some day this may be connected to a faulty transformer I should do an insulation test".

So although likely a hoax there may be some obscure phone chargers which do not comply with the regulations but most have an alternative warning sign.

Made in China

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well I've just looked at the chargers for my phone and my laptop, and neither carry the short-circuit proof transformer symbol, and the laptop one doesn't even say it's DI. And it does have a 3-pin input.

The laptop one is made in China, as is the laptop itself.

But then all Lenovo products are, so I think your "alternative warning sign" theory is a bit simplistic....