Vital to follow guidelines when charging phones

KUALA LUMPUR: Consumers are urged to give serious attention to safety when using mobile phones following a number of incidents related to the device.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason said apart from ensuring that the battery, charger and mobile phone were genuine, consumers also needed to avoid using phones at petrol stations.

He said switching off the device while it was being charged would prevent it from being overused.

He was commenting on an incident involving a 19-year-old boy in Melaka, who was reportedly electrocuted in his sleep while listening to his mobile phone that was being charged to a power bank on Friday.

On Aug 25 last year, a cameraman suffered burns on his left thigh when a power bank placed in his bag caught fire while he was working in the federal capital.

Another case on April 23, last year, in Yan, Kedah, involved a boat skipper, 27, who suffered injuries to his hands and face after his mobile phone that was being charged exploded. Bernama