While in reality they’re more like self-balancing scooters, many are referring to these devices as ‘hoverboards’ and as fun as they look, it seems that they are considered a safety hazard. We have heard stories of these devices catching fire while they are being charged, and there was an instance where a home was nearly burnt down due to the fire it started.This is why it does not come as a surprise to learn that over in Australia, the Federal government has issued an interim ban the devices. This is a temporary ban that came into effect on the 19th of March and is expected to last for 60 days, at least until further action can be decided. As expected, this is over the safety concerns of these devices and the fire hazard that the potentially present.
According to Assistant Treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer, “The ACCC has advised of four house fires in Australia directly linked to hoverboards resulting in the destruction of two houses. Specifically, the ACCC’s investigation found there are fire safety risks from defective charging devices, electrical circuitry and substandard lithium-ion batteries in hoverboards. The interim ban sets out the safety requirements for batteries and battery control systems that hoverboards must meet in order to be sold in Australia.”
Prior to this, hoverboards were banned in the state of New South Wales in Australia, but it looks like this ban has been applied to the rest of the country. In the meantime the ACCC is expected to consult with hoverboard suppliers and experts to ensure that products sold the future after the ban are safe from such incidents.
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