Hair Dryer Electrocutions – Can they be Prevented?

Abstract

Electrocution cases with hand-held hair dryers typically involve children under 10 years of age who either knock a plugged-in hair dryer into the bathtub or take it in with them. This paper looks at how effective a revised UL Standard would be in preventing these electrocutions. The revision requires that a plugged-in hair dryer with its switch in the “off” position will not leak dangerous levels of current. Investigations of hair dryer electrocutions and the child development literature are reviewed. The conclusion reached is that the new immersible switch will not prevent electrocution in a number of the cases. The recommendation is made to pursue the development of a shock protection device that could be made an integral part of the hair dryer.

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