Fire risk warning issued for replacement batteries

People are being warned of the dangers of using replacement batteries and chargers for devices such as vacuum cleaners, laptops and mobile phones, after Trading Standards found many were a safety hazard.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards was among nine East of England authorities that took 22 samples of alternatives to manufacturer-approved batteries and chargers - primarily from online marketplaces.

Laboratory testing found 13 of the samples had a high hazard rating due to the risk of electric shock, fire and explosion, and all were missing vital safety information on the packaging.

Peterborough City Council said the checks were vital, after a house fire in the city last year.

Alison Jones, cabinet member for housing and communities, said: "After the house fire in Peterborough in June last year caused by a lithium-ion battery catching fire, having been damaged the day before, we are all too aware of the risks.

"But this project really illustrates the wider risks, where unsafe batteries, chargers and products containing these batteries have been imported illegally into the UK and are being sold on online platforms.

"Current legislation places no legal obligation on these platforms to check the safety of goods fulfilled and distributed by them."

The council said in three of the battery samples the rating capacity was significantly wrong - and in one case the battery had only 18% of the rated capacity described, with padding in place of where cells should have been.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Most devices come with fail-safe features to ensure they do not overheat when being charged, but rely on the manufacturers' provided charging cables and adapters to work.

"Other things like charging a mobile phone while you are awake and alert, rather than while sleeping, means the device won't be overcharged and risk overheating the battery. This can be the same for any device."

The government's Office for Product Safety and Standards will be providing further funding to Trading Standards to continue its work, with further sampling and testing planned this year.

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