The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Health (DOH) are looking into the health hazards of hoverboards and considering ban of sales if proven to be a safety risk to users.
In a report by ABS-CBN, the DTI and DOH have created an investigation team on the safety issues of the hoverboards. These two-wheeled self-balancing scooters that have become a hot item for kids and young adults have been making news lately due to reports of it catching fire.
Last week, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific have banned hoverboards on flights citing potential fire risk that might have been caused by the device’s high-powered lithium-ion batteries. Other international airlines like British Airways, Delta, United, and American Airlines, have also banned hoverboards in flights.
The DTI and DOH for now have advised that hoverboards should only be used by kids 14 years old and above. The government agencies are asking for two weeks to finish the probe on the hoverboards and may order total ban, regulation of sale or impose additional safety precautions depending on the result of the investigation.
source: ABS-CBN News Twitter
“Hoverboard” should be put in quotes. As stated, they are self-balancing scooters. They don’t fit the name it is called.