The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a new rule that strengthens its enforcement efforts against unsafe hand-held hair dryers.
Published in the Federal Register in June 2011, the new rule restricts the importation of hand-held hair dryers that do not include integral immersion protection, and gives the CPSC the authority to issue a mandatory recall of any such non-compliant devices.
Current voluntary industry standards require manufacturers of hand-held hair dryers to incorporate a protective mechanism into the device that prevents shock and/or electrocution when the hair dryer comes in contact with water. According to the CPSC, most manufacturers and distributors already comply with these voluntary standards. However, the new rule provides the agency with additional enforcement options to ensure the safety of consumers.
