MSA warning on socket converters

Socket converters as shown in the photograph are banned from the market as they pose a serious risk to consumers, the Malta Standards Authority said.

The MSA said these adapters prevented the safety gates in a socket outlet from being closed, exposing the live contacts in the socket posing a risk of electrocution.

Moreover, they allowed a two pin plug to be inserted directly into the socket without the use of a fuse to protect the appliance being connected to the mains supply.

The MSA called on economic operators to withdraw their current stock of adapters from the market and ensure that these products were neither sold nor given to consumers.

“Any such products found on the market will be removed by the authority as stipulated by law. Consumers who have purchased these products should return them to the outlet they have been purchased from or destroy them,” the MSA said.

It reminded retailers that they were required to ensure that electrical appliances were handed over to consumers fitted with a plug or similar fused device of a suitable three-pin configuration.