Subject: Advisory – Hoverboard Safety
From: “Coan, Stephen \(DFS\)” <Stephen.Coan@MassMail.State.MA.US>
To: “Coan, Stephen \(DFS\)” <stephen.coan@state.ma.us>
Date: Friday, 11/12/2015 12:25 PM
[Fire] Chiefs –
By now, most of you have heard of recent fire incidents involving hoverboards (motorized skateboards) powered by lithium-ion battery packs. Attached [HERE] is a guidance document from the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM). Little is known definitively about the causes of these fires. The Department of Fire Services is aware of only one incident in Massachusetts, which was investigated by the local fire department, who in turn reported it to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.CPSC.gov).
These hoverboards are expected to be a popular holiday gift item. Please feel free to share this information with school and college administrators as they can expect a large number of these hoverboards on campus when their students return after the first of the year. Also of note is that some airlines have begun to ban hoverboards on their airplanes, over and above the regulations that the Federal Aviation Administration already has on transporting batteries.
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Stephen D. Coan – State Fire Marshal
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Department of Fire Services
P.O. Box 1025 – State Road Stow, MA 01775-1025
978-567-3111 (direct) 978-567-3121 (fax) http://www.mass.gov/dfs
