Media statements - September 2006
Child nightlight fire hazard warning
5 September 2006
Child nightlight fire hazard warning
Queenslanders are being urged to check whether their nightlights are part of a faulty batch that could cause fire or injury.
Experts from Queensland's Electrical Safety Office and the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) are investigating the nightlights which are believed to have caused several fires in domestic residences.
The lights are marketed as Dim Night Lighting or Nushi Night Light (Model HS-309).
Electrical Safety Office General Manager Peter Lamont said that all electrical appliances sold in Australia have to comply with strict safety standards and come with full instructions.
"Manufacturers and importers are required to ensure that electrical equipment and appliances are electrically safe before they put the products on sale," Mr Lamont said.
"It appears that this procedure was not followed, and it was only the quick thinking of householders that prevented a worse outcome.
"If you have any doubts about nightlights or any other appliance or equipment you should disconnect it from the power supply and have a licensed electrician inspect it."
QFRS Fire Investigation Unit Manager Danny Carson said that the lights posed a significant fire risk.
"In the most recent incident a father was checking on his young child when he noticed smoke," Mr Carson said.
"These products are of great concern because they are used in children's rooms, where clothes, toys and blankets may be lying around, all of which can help a fire spread rapidly."
In addition to checking the equipment, having a safety switch installed in the home and testing it regularly is important to minimise the risk posed by faulty appliances and equipment.
Safety switches are lifesaving devices that can cut off the electricity supply when current is detected to be leaking to earth from faulty equipment or wiring.
Media contact: Electrical Safety Office (07) 322 52484 / QFRS (07) 3247 8186
Last updated September 7, 2006