Take charge of battery safety when using e-cigarettes

17 Feb 2020 11:55 AM

Follow safety advice from OPSS and our partners to take charge of e-cigarette battery safety.

There have been rare incidents of E-cigarettes or “vapes” exploding and seriously injuring people. It has been suggested that battery-related issues may lead to vape explosions. Our below safety tips may help you avoid a vape battery explosion or fire.

• Only use the charger that was supplied with the vape for charging. Don’t charge your vape overnight and regularly check your device when it is charging. Unplug your vape when it is fully charged.
• Charge your vape on a clean, flat surface and away from anything that can easily catch fire. Ensure you can clearly see your vape when it is charging.
• Ensure that you read and follow the safety instructions, markings or warnings on or supplied with the vape. Contact the manufacturer if you have any further questions or if your vape wasn’t supplied with instructions.
• Consider using vape devices with safety features and don’t remove or disable safety features.
• Only use genuine and recommended batteries for your vaping device. Don’t let your battery encounter metal items. Store removable and spare batteries in a plastic case to prevent accidental contact. Keep batteries out of the reach of children.
• Regularly inspect your vape batteries and replace your battery immediately if it is damaged, leaking or not functioning properly. Dispose of batteries at recycle or disposal points.
• Protect your vape from extreme temperatures by not leaving it in direct sunlight or in your car on a freezing cold night.

Support our campaign by retweeting us or sending out these important messages yourself, using the hashtag #vapebatterysafety.

We have partnered with Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) to produce the campaign materials and raise awareness. We are also working with the following organisations Electric Safety First, Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), Public Health and the fire service to raise awareness.

Click here for the full press release