We know that using our electronic devices before bed can wreak havoc with our sleeping patterns, but let’s be honest, we all do it.
While in theory, disrupted sleep will only affect you, (and everyone who has to be around you the next day – eek), the potential fire hazard of falling asleep with your phone charging in bed can not and should not be ignored.
Officials are warning us yet again just how serious this risk is.
A Facebook post from a US fire department revealed that 53 per cent of children/teens charge their phone or tablet either on their bed or under their pillow.
“The heat generated cannot dissipate and the charger will become hotter and hotter. The likely result is that the pillow/bed will catch fire,” explains Newtown, New Hampshire Fire Department.
The information was accompanied a powerful set of images bringing these terrifying warnings to life.
Last year research from Australia showed that more than half of children surveyed had left a smartphone, laptop or tablet charging on their beds – and two in five children slept with their phones charging under their pillows.
Emma Apter, head of communications at British-based Electrical Safety First that conducted the study, said few people think about the problems that could occur if a device was left to charge surrounded by bedding or under pillows.
“Many parents are unaware of the electrical dangers in their children’s bedrooms and how one person’s bad habits could put the whole family at risk”, Ms Apter told the Telegraph.
The research also revealed that more than a quarter of children have used or bought a cheap, unbranded charger.
Electrical Safety First found these chargers often contained faulty parts that were at risk of overheating, could catch fire or even cause a fatal electrical shock.
Figures show that on average kids have around ten electrical items in their bedrooms ranging from games consoles and smartphones to fairy lights and hair straighteners – around 25 per cent more than their parents owned growing up a generation ago.
Children might not be aware they could be putting their lives, or their families lives at risk by leaving their devices on charge overnight in areas where they could smoulder and cause a fire.
It’s not just teens who are guilty of this dangerous habit.
In 2016, a 53-year-old man died in a house fire caused by the overheating of an iPhone 5 battery which was plugged in to charge overnight.
An inquest has heard that Mark Kruger was bed bound due to a brain tumour at the time of the fire.
The court was told that Kruger often kept his mobile phone by his side and charged it using an extension cable to make it more accessible.
Kruger’s wife, Iryna, had a statement read to the court on her behalf. It explained how her husband, who had been taking paracetamol and ibuprofen, had been in an accident and was reliant on carers and on his electric bed.
“He had a brain tumour and lost a lot of weight and was in huge pain,” the statement said.
A pathology report revealed that Kruger had suffered 64% burns including first degree burns to his face and upper chest. Soot was found in his larynx and trachea.
Don’t forget this warning, it may save your life.
