More than 17,000 hoverboards, also known as Segways or eboards, have been impounded at UK ports after it was discovered that 88% of boards failed basic safety checks, while carrying the risk of bursting into flames or exploding, according to The Guardian.
Most segways revealed safety issues that include the battery, charger, plug and cabling which failed to comply with safety standards.
Lord Toby Harris, Chairman of National Trading Standards, said: “Our teams at sea ports, postal hubs and airports have seen a significant spike in the number of unsafe hoverboards arriving at national entry points in recent weeks and are working round the clock to prevent dangerous items from entering the supply chain.”
Read a Technical Paper on fire protection for ports and terminals
Leon Livermore, CEO of the Chartered Standards Trading Institute, said: “Criminals and irresponsible manufacturers will often exploit high demand and attempt to flood the market with cheap and dangerous products.
“Some products that are made abroad, principally for the overseas market, are not fitted with the correct plug and fuse for use in the UK. As a minimum consumers should check that the three-pin plug on the device states it is made to BS1363. If it doesn’t include this information, then don’t buy the product.”
So far, incidents involve damage to a house in Kent, UK and numerous incidents of a similar nature in the US.
