Power Adapter Can Get Hot Enough To Burn User
BOSTON -- Laptop computers are convenient, portable and powerful, but they also have a safety issue that many people don't know about.
NewsCenter 5 consumer reporter Susan Wornick has uncovered an important warning.
Eileen Sullivan discovered something about a laptop computer power adapter you may not know.
"I never thought it could get that hot," she said.
But it did, causing a third-degree burn when Sullivan's daughter, Erin, fell asleep while studying.
"(The adapter) was on her bed also, as was the computer," Sullivan said.
Erin had not seen the company's safety warning that without proper venting, the adapter could get hot enough to cause a severe burn. In and out of the hospital, already laid up for a month, she's still not ready to talk about her ordeal, but her mother is.
"What I want to see is that it doesn't happen to somebody else," Sullivan said.
The adapter is made by Dell. A spokesman told NewsCenter 5, "the adapter was used in a manner outside Dell's instructions and warnings," which are clear. They are in the owner's manual under safety instructions: "Do not block cooling vents." "Do not place your computer on a bed." And even more specifically, "the AC adapter may become hot during normal operation."
And Dell is not the only company with equipment that can get hot. NewsCenter 5 found similar warnings in manuals for brands Compaq and HP.
But Sullivan questions how many people actually read the manuals. She thinks computer warnings should be more obvious.
"I would like all these computer companies put something in their software to warn people of the possibility of injuries," she said.
Dell told NewsCenter 5 that safety is paramount, but it's incumbent upon consumers to read the manual for every aspect of operation.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/asseenon5/5479362/detail.html
BOSTON -- Laptop computers are convenient, portable and powerful, but they also have a safety issue that many people don't know about.
NewsCenter 5 consumer reporter Susan Wornick has uncovered an important warning.
Eileen Sullivan discovered something about a laptop computer power adapter you may not know.
"I never thought it could get that hot," she said.
But it did, causing a third-degree burn when Sullivan's daughter, Erin, fell asleep while studying.
"(The adapter) was on her bed also, as was the computer," Sullivan said.
Erin had not seen the company's safety warning that without proper venting, the adapter could get hot enough to cause a severe burn. In and out of the hospital, already laid up for a month, she's still not ready to talk about her ordeal, but her mother is.
"What I want to see is that it doesn't happen to somebody else," Sullivan said.
The adapter is made by Dell. A spokesman told NewsCenter 5, "the adapter was used in a manner outside Dell's instructions and warnings," which are clear. They are in the owner's manual under safety instructions: "Do not block cooling vents." "Do not place your computer on a bed." And even more specifically, "the AC adapter may become hot during normal operation."
And Dell is not the only company with equipment that can get hot. NewsCenter 5 found similar warnings in manuals for brands Compaq and HP.
But Sullivan questions how many people actually read the manuals. She thinks computer warnings should be more obvious.
"I would like all these computer companies put something in their software to warn people of the possibility of injuries," she said.
Dell told NewsCenter 5 that safety is paramount, but it's incumbent upon consumers to read the manual for every aspect of operation.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/asseenon5/5479362/detail.html
