The public should be cautious about buying mini desk fans, because only one in 21 meet proper labeling standards, the Consumers’ Foundation said yesterday.
The foundation said that while all the mini-fans tested recently passed safety checks, only one was clearly labeled with sufficient information, such as its voltage and power consumption rating, country of origin and date of manufacture.
Some had no labels or instructions in Chinese, the foundation said.
“In such hot summer weather, fans are our best friends,” said Chen Chih-yi (陳智義), the foundation’s secretary-general. “But potential danger lies in products not clearly labeled.”
The lack of such information raises the chances of accidents that can result from the incorrect use of USB or battery-powered mini desk fans, he said.
The recent tests by the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) checked for safety and product labeling. All the samples passed safety checks that included resistance to temperature increases and protection against electric shock.
However, nearly all the products were found to be missing required information.
Under the Commodity Labeling Act (商品標示法), the manufacturers and importers of products not properly labeled may be subject to fines of NT$20,000 to NT$200,000.
Exercise caution when buying mini-fans, the foundation said.
The tests were carried out in April on samples from chain stores and Internet retailers.
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