Accident In The News
After almost total silence about accidents with lithium-ion cells, the media is carrying another story of a mod incident
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by Dave Cross
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2017 was the peak of anti-vaping explosion stories in the United Kingdom. Local and national newspapers leapt on tales of woe to deliver negative coverage to drive clicks to their websites and social media accounts. Not once did they mention that the batteries they vilified could be found in all of our portable devices.
This week, the Manchester Evening News tells the tale of a 21-yr-old Ramsbottom man who fell asleep on his device. Not only that, but it was plugged in to charge.
As long-term vapers appreciate, charging batteries can get very warm. Whether he was on top on the mod while charging, if it was covered by bedding, or if there was a fault is not clear – but the damage it caused is.
The man suffered first and second degree burns on multiple parts of his body and he had to be treated in the burns unit at Wythenshawe Hospital.
The paper quoted Paul Duggan, Head of Prevention at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), saying: “Faulty or substandard electrical equipment can lead to a significant risk of fire. We would urge people always to buy electrical products from a reputable and trusted dealer. The products they sell will meet the correct safety standards, whereas products bought cheaply online could pose a serious risk of fire or shock. We would also strongly urge people never to smoke in bed or when tired because of the risk of falling asleep and the smoking materials catching light to the bed, clothing or furniture.”
This isn’t sufficient.
The London Fire Brigade has frequently addressed the benefits offered by vaping. It has highlighted that house fires are primarily caused by cigarettes at least once a year and encouraged people to switch to vaping as it drastically reduces the chances of an accident.
Its simple advice to new vapers includes:
- Only use the battery and charger provided with the e-cigarette
- Never charge batteries or devices overnight or when out of the home
- Never use a damaged e-cigarette
- Never vape close to medical oxygen
Home fires caused by cigarettes boomed by 20% last year as people spent more time indoors due to the COVID pandemic [link].
While The Manchester Evening News thinks covering an accident in a salacious manner constitutes journalism, the fact remains that vaping is far safer than smoking and reduces the risk of accidents.
If you are unsure how to use your device safely, contact our online forum members at Planet of the Vapes and someone will be happy to offer you some sage advice.
Related:
- Planet of the Vapes forum – [link]
- The London Fire Brigade – [link]
- Ecig use cuts house fire fatalities, 2014, POTV – [link]
- London Fire Brigade Safety Warning, 2018, POTV – [link]
- London Fire Brigade Still Supports Vaping, 2018, POTV – [link]
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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