If you own a Hewlett Packard (HP) laptop or mobile workstation, then you need to check them carefully for a possible safety issue. HP announced it is recalling 50,000 laptop and mobile workstation batteries due to a possible fire risk.
According to a Jan. 4 recall alert from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the laptop and mobile workstations’ lithium-ion batteries “can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards.”
HP reported they’d received eight reports of battery packs overheating, melting or charring.
From three of these incidents, a total of $4,500 in property damage occurred. And, one person received a first-degree burn to their hand.
The company released a statement about the recall:
“The quality and safety of all HP products is our top priority. We recently learned that batteries provided by one of our suppliers for certain notebook computers and mobile workstations present a potential safety concern. We are taking immediate action to address this issue including a voluntary recall and replacement of the batteries. This action pertains to 0.1 percent of the HP systems sold globally over the past two years.”
Is Your Battery Affected?
To find out if your product has been recalled for safety reasons, check your computer.
The CPSC recall alert said “the batteries were shipped with or sold as accessories for HP ProBooks (64x G2 and G3 series, 65x G2 and G3 series), HPx360 310 G2, HP Envy m6, HP Pavilion x360, HP 11, HP ZBook (17 G3, 17 G4 and Studio G3) Mobile Workstations.
The batteries were also sold as accessories or replacement batteries for the HP ZBook Studio G4 mobile workstation or for any of the products listed above.”
These batteries were sold at Best Buy and other stores or authorized dealers across the US and through online retailers such as HP.com, Amazon and other websites.
Affected computers were sold between December 2015 and December 2017 for between $300 and $4,000. Batteries sold separately cost between $50 and $90.
You can also visit the official webpage for the HP Battery Replacement Program to see if your computer’s or workstation’s battery is included in this recall.
What Do You Do If You Have A Recalled Battery?
HP says anyone with a recalled battery will have their batteries replaced at no cost.
Also, if you still need to use the computer or workstation, you can place the battery in safety mode and connect to an external power source to keep your machine running.
Other Important Safety Recalls
You might want to check other things around your home for possible safety recalls, as well. In 2017, a variety of appliances and home items were recalled injury risk. Some of these items include dishwashers, Playtex children’s plates and bowls, Martha Stewart knife and server sets, Industrial table lamps and Saber gas grills.
Marie is a freelance writer and content creator with more than 20 years of experience in journalism. She lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and is almost a full-fledged empty nest mom of two daughters. She loves music, reading, word games, and Walt Disney World. You can find her writing about her personal health journey at marierossiter.substack.com and connect with her at [email protected] More.
