Western Australia has imposed an interim ban on hoverboards which fail to meet electrical safety standards after unsafe models were linked to four house fires.
Commerce Minister Michael Mischin said the 60-day ban in Western Australia supported the recent Australian Government's ban, covering sole traders as well as corporations. "The ban prevents the supply of hoverboards that don't meet safety standards for batteries and related circuits and pose a serious fire risk to Western Australian homes," Mr Mischin said. "Western Australian consumers should not charge or use their hoverboards unless their supplier confirms the hoverboard meets strict safety requirements." An investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found there were defective charging devices, electrical circuitry and substandard lithium-ion batteries in some suppliers' hoverboards. "The Australian and State governments interim bans set out the safety requirements for batteries and battery control systems that hoverboards must meet in order to be sold in Australia," the Minister said. "If a supplier's hoverboards do not meet those requirements, they are unable to sell the product during the interim ban period. "Many hoverboard suppliers have announced product safety recalls in recent months after it was found their models were not using compliant charging devices. Western Australian consumers are urged to check on the ACCC website to see if their particular product is subject to a recall. "Further consultations with hoverboard suppliers and electrical safety experts will take place during the 60-day period to determine future action to ensure the ongoing safety of these products." Fact File
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