Danger to human health or safety assessment for USB chargers

Last updated: July 4, 2023

Table 3 was first published in July 2020 to consolidate information for regulated parties in an effort to increase openness and transparency regarding Health Canada's evaluation of products that pose a danger to human health or safety. While this entry was added to Table 3 upon initial posting of the table in July 2020, the danger to human health or safety was previously communicated by Health Canada to regulated parties. This assessment does not present new decisions, and is being published for clarity on the decisions made previously.

This assessment was originally completed when the consensus-based safety standard applicable to USB chargers in Canada was CAN/CSA-C22.2 NO. 60950-1-07 (R2016). In December 2020, this standard was replaced with CSA-C22.2 NO. 62368-1:19. This assessment has been updated to reference the new criteria within this standard addressing electric shock, burn or fire hazards.

Legislative background

The purpose of the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) is to protect the public by addressing or preventing dangers to human health or safety that are posed by consumer products in Canada, including those that circulate within Canada and those that are imported. Any person who manufactures, imports, advertises, sells or tests a consumer product must comply with all applicable requirements of the CCPSA and its regulations. Paragraphs 7(a) and 8(a) of the CCPSA prohibit the manufacture, importation, advertisement or sale of any consumer product that is a "danger to human health or safety". The CCPSA defines the term as follows:

Danger to human health or safety means any unreasonable hazard — existing or potential — that is posed by a consumer product during or as a result of its normal or foreseeable use and that may reasonably be expected to cause the death of an individual exposed to it or have an adverse effect on that individual's health — including an injury — whether or not the death or adverse effect occurs immediately after the exposure to the hazard, and includes any exposure to a consumer product that may reasonably be expected to have a chronic adverse effect on human health.

Definitions

Universal Serial Bus (USB) chargers
Direct current (DC) power adapters that plug into the alternating current (AC) mains electricity supply with one or more USB output connections that are used to charge batteries in smartphones, e-readers, tablet computers, and other portable electronic devices. Also known as USB power adapters, USB adapters, or USB wall chargers.
Electrical outlet
A connection to the AC mains electricity supply. Also known as electrical plugs, sockets, or receptacles.

Scope of affected products

USB chargers

Included:

Excluded:

Hazards of concern

USB chargers that do not adequately restrict the flow of electric current between the primary and secondary circuits within the product may result in an electric shock hazard, or overheating that poses a burn or fire hazard.

IncidentsFootnote 1

Health Canada is aware of 1,090 reports of incidents between June 20, 2011 and December 31, 2022 involving products with a potential USB charger issue (including battery chargers, adapters, and portable electronic devices). Of the 1,090 reports, 182 mentioned a charger, and 433 mentioned charging a product. It is unknown in the remaining 475 cases whether the problem occurred while the device was charging. Of the 1,090 reports, three reported deaths and 268 reported an injury. All three deaths were due to house fires. Of the injuries, 219 were burns. Consumer product incidents reported to Health Canada do not always provide the details necessary to determine whether they involved the use of USB chargers or other products. Note that not all incidents occurred in Canada.

Danger to human health or safety assessment

Based on the danger to human health or safety considerations and details discussed in the following sections, Health Canada believes that certain USB chargers that do not meet the applicable criteria set out in CAN/CSA-C22.2 NO. 62368-1:19 - Audio/video, information and communication technology equipment – Part 1: Safety requirements (Binational standard with UL 62368-1) or the equivalent, likely pose a danger to human health or safety.

Health Canada recognizes that there may be other possible health or safety concerns with the use of these or similar products. Industry should review their products for all potential hazards and respond appropriately to make sure they are safe for consumers. The Consumer Product Safety Program of Health Canada operates as a post-market regulatory regime, meaning that there is no pre-market review or approval of consumer products by Health Canada.

Health Canada may update this assessment as warranted.

Danger to human health or safety considerations

Considerations for a product to pose a potential danger to human health or safety are outlined in Health Canada's Industry Guidance - "Danger to Human Health or Safety" Posed by Consumer Products. The main considerations assessed are:

  1. Unreasonable hazard
  2. Existing or potential hazard
  3. Normal or foreseeable use
  4. May reasonably be expected to cause
    1. Death
    2. Adverse effect on health

1. Unreasonable hazard

The consideration of unreasonable hazard includes the following components.

a. Inherent hazard

AC mains electricity is required for a USB charger to function as intended. There are two inherent hazards associated with electricity, electric shock and overheating. USB chargers that do not adequately restrict the flow of electric current may pose an electric shock hazard. The flow of electric current inherently produces heat. USB chargers that do not adequately restrict the flow of electric current may result in overheating that poses a burn or fire hazard.

b. Severity of hazard

USB chargers can pose an electric shock hazard, or overheat and pose a burn or fire hazard. Electric shocks may range in severity from minor to electrocution (death). Burn injuries range from contact burns when a user touches the affected product, all the way to smoke inhalation and severe burns that may cause death if the USB charger overheats and causes a home fire.

c. Intended and foreseeable users

The intended and reasonably foreseeable users of USB chargers are adults and children with smartphones, tablets, or other low voltage battery-operated portable electronic devices.

d. Obviousness of hazard

Users may be able to feel overheating USB chargers when handling them before exposure to the hazard. Users may be able to see smoke or fire when they are in the room with a USB charger plugged into an electrical outlet. Users would not be able to see when a USB charger does not adequately restrict the flow of electric current between the primary and secondary circuits.

e. Social utility

USB chargers are the most common and practical means for recharging many common low voltage battery-operated electrical products, including portable electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. The majority of the public are expected to be users of low voltage battery-operated electrical products including portable electronic devices. USB chargers therefore have high social utility.

f. Available alternatives

Battery-operated electrical products often recommend only using USB chargers supplied by the original equipment manufacturer or USB chargers meeting specified criteria. Interchangeable USB chargers from many manufacturers with various designs and specifications are available on the marketplace. USB car chargers, electrical outlets or power bars with USB charging ports, hand crank USB chargers, solar USB chargers, and power banks are some of the available alternatives for charging low voltage battery-operated electrical products.

g. Consensus-based safety standards or government regulations

The consensus-based National Standard of Canada applicable to USB chargers is CAN/CSA-C22.2 NO. 62368-1:19 - Audio/video, information and communication technology equipment – Part 1: Safety requirements (Binational standard with UL 62368-1). This standard sets out criteria that address the electric shock, burn, or fire hazard, including but not limited to:

There are already USB chargers on the Canadian market that appear to conform to the applicable criteria outlined above. All electrical products that plug into an electrical outlet, including USB chargers, are already required to be certified to the applicable Canadian national safety standard from the Canadian Electrical Code to comply with provincial and territorial legislation. That certification must be from a certification body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada and the certified product must carry the recognized certification mark of that certification body.

2.Existing or potential hazard

The reports of incidents that Health Canada are aware of in Canada and the United States signal the presence of an existing or potential electric shock, burn, or fire hazard.

3. Normal or foreseeable use (including foreseeable misuse)

Normal or foreseeable use of USB chargers may result in failure of low-quality insulation used to separate the primary and secondary circuit. The breakdown of low-quality insulation can create a short circuit between the primary and secondary circuits allowing dangerous flow of electric current from the AC circuit, which can result in an electric shock hazard to users handling the USB charger or peripheral electronic equipment attached to it. Low-quality insulation could also lead to rapid overheating, potentially posing a burn hazard to users handling the USB charger or igniting the USB charger materials resulting in a home fire if there are flammable materials nearby. A home fire can cause burn or smoke inhalation injuries.

4. May reasonably be expected to cause

a. Death

Health Canada is aware of international reports of electrocution deaths associated with wearing wired headphones connected to smartphones while they were charging with a USB cable and a USB charger. Health Canada is aware of Canadian and international reports of fires associated with USB chargers. An unattended USB charger that starts a fire in a home may reasonably be expected to cause burn or smoke inhalation injuries that may result in death.

It is therefore reasonable to expect that USB chargers that do not conform to the applicable criteria outlined above to address the electric shock, burn, or fire hazard may cause death.

Health Canada is not aware of any deaths in Canada caused by USB chargers.

b. Adverse effect on health

USB chargers that do not adequately restrict the flow of electric current between the primary and secondary circuits may pose an electric shock hazard, or result in overheating that poses a burn or fire hazard. These hazards may reasonably be expected to cause adverse effects on health such as electric shock, burn, and smoke inhalation injuries. Health Canada is aware of Canadian reports of adverse effects on health associated with USB chargers.

It is therefore reasonable to expect that USB chargers that do not conform to the applicable criteria outlined above to address the electric shock, burn, or fire hazard may cause an adverse effect on human health.

If you require additional information regarding this Danger to Human Health or Safety Assessment, please contact a Health Canada Consumer Product Safety Office via email (hc.ccpsa-lcspc.sc@canada.ca) or telephone at 1-866-662-0666 (toll-free within Canada and the United States).

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Health Canada receives reports on an ongoing basis and does not validate details of every report it receives. Incident report numbers are based on the data available at the time of publication.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

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