"Fire Risk from Overloaded Power Strips"... Korea Consumer Agency Issues Safety Advisory

Safety Accidents Involving Power Strips and Outlets on the Rise Each Year
Electrical, Fire, and Overheating Causes Account for 69.8%
84.6% of Safety Accidents Occur at Home

As the number of essential home appliances increases, household electricity consumption is rising, leading to a continued occurrence of fires and burn accidents caused by overloaded power strips, outlets, and plugs. In response, the Korea Consumer Agency announced on September 4 that it has issued a consumer safety advisory in collaboration with the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards and the National Fire Research Institute to prevent safety accidents involving power strips and similar devices.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, a total of 387 related safety accidents were reported to the Consumer Injury Surveillance System (CISS) over the past five years (2020-2024), showing an upward trend each year. Of these, 214 cases were related to outlets, 158 cases to power strips, and 15 cases to plugs.

By season, safety accidents occurred most frequently in 'summer' and 'fall.' Summer accounted for the highest proportion, with 32.3% (125 cases) of all safety accidents. This was followed by 'fall' at 26.1% (101 cases). Safety accidents involving power strips and similar devices were found to occur evenly throughout all seasons.

By cause, incidents related to electricity, fire, or overheating accounted for 69.8% of the cases. Among these, 'electrical issues' were the most common at 44.7% (173 cases), followed by 'fire or overheating' at 25.1% (97 cases), and 'physical impact' at 16.8% (65 cases). The Korea Consumer Agency emphasized, "Causes related to electric shock, leakage, or short circuits account for nearly half of the cases, so caution is needed to prevent serious accidents such as fires."

The majority of safety accidents occurred in residential settings. An analysis of the locations of 240 cases involving power strips and similar devices showed that 'residences' accounted for 84.6% (203 cases) of the incidents. This was followed by 'other' at 9.1%, and 'educational facilities' at 2.9%.

Half of the safety accidents resulted in burns. An analysis of the symptoms in 240 cases revealed that 'burns' were the most common outcome, accounting for 48.3% (116 cases). 'Skin and subcutaneous tissue injuries' accounted for 29.6%, and 'systemic injuries' for 17.5% (42 cases).

Notably, the highest number of accidents occurred among children under the age of 10. Of the 239 cases where the age was identified, 48.1% involved 'children under 10.' This was followed by people in their 20s at 15.1% and those in their 30s at 13.0%.

The Korea Consumer Agency, together with the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards and the National Fire Research Institute, has distributed safety guidelines for the proper use of power strips, outlets, and plugs. In addition, they plan to visit traditional markets, where many outdoor stalls and aging power strips are present, to conduct campaigns aimed at preventing safety accidents.

A representative from the Korea Consumer Agency advised consumers to: ▲ check the power consumption of electrical products in advance and avoid exceeding the rated capacity of power strips; ▲ refrain from connecting one power strip to another; ▲ use a dedicated wall outlet for high-power appliances such as air conditioners and heaters; and ▲ ensure that the cords of power strips are not bent or damaged by heavy objects.