SINGAPORE — Swedish furniture company Ikea on Wednesday (Jan 10) issued a recall of its Askstorm 40W dark grey USB charger because wear and tear of the power cable could cause thermal burns and electric shocks.

In a notice that was posted on its website, it urged all customers who bought these USB chargers to stop using them and to return them to any Ikea store for a full refund without the need for a purchase receipt.

No incidents have been reported in Singapore, the company said.

“Ikea develops its products using a rigorous risk assessment and testing programme, to make sure that the products live up to all applicable laws and standards on the markets where they are sold,” it added.

“Despite this, it has come to our attention that the power cable on the Askstorm 40W dark grey USB charger may get damaged or broken, after being wrapped around a charger or bent back and forth after a longer period of use."

The damaged cable may then lead to thermal burns and electric shock.

The affected product can be identified by the model number "ICPSW5-40-1" that is found on label on the back of the charger.

A check on the Ikea Singapore website showed that listings for the USB model has been removed.

It sells another 23W version of the Askstorm USB charger in white colour, as well as other USB chargers.  

Shoppers may visit the company’s website or contact its customer contact centre at 67866868 for more information.