M
Mitsuhide Akechi
Guest
Oct 1, 2010
Beware unsafe fan clip
By Bryan Huang

Unguarded Electric Clip Fan. -- PHOTO: SPRING SINGAPORE

The plug and mains cord pose an electric shock hazard. -- PHOTO: SPRING SINGAPORE

(Clockwise from top left) Retail box of the electric clip fan, assembled fan, contents inside the box, back view, another view and marking on the fan. -- PHOTOS: SPRING SINGAPORE

A NON-REGISTERED electric clip fan found by Spring Singapore in routine market surveillance may cause injury or an electric shock, the agency said in a statement on Friday. The fan does not come with a fan guard, exposing the user to possible injuries from the turning blades. The fan is also a potential electric hazard as its two flat-pin plug does not fit the mains sockets here and its mains cord is not double-insulated, the statement said.
Spring said it had found only one retailer selling the unsafe fan. He had imported 100 pieces and sold 72 of them, while the remaining 28 pieces were removed. Consumers who have bought the fans are urged to return or dispose of them, Spring said. They can also seek a refund from the retailer.
Electric fans are among 45 categories of controlled goods which must be registered with Spring and issued with the Safety Mark before they can be sold on the market. Spring can require those trading in non-registered controlled goods to stop selling and recall the products. Offenders may also be fined up to $10,000 or jailed for up to two years, or both.