Coast Guard Warns of Danger From Use of Samsung Phones

WASHINGTON, D.C. (LOG NEWS SERVICE) — The Coast Guard has warned all boat owners and passengers to discontinue the use of certain Samsung Galaxy Smartphones.

In Safety Alert 15-16 issued Oct. 14 the Coast Guard strongly recommended “immediately powering down and ending all use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones not updated” aboard all vessels.

In exceptional cases only and in alignment with Federal Aviation Administration flight requirements, if a person has not replaced their phone and must bring it onboard a vessel the Coast Guard recommends:

1. Turning off phones;

2. Disconnecting phones from any charging equipment;

3. Disabling all applications that could inadvertently activate the phone such as the alarm clock;

4. Protecting the power switch to prevent it from being turned on;

5. Keeping the device accessible; and,

6. Not storing it in an inaccessible space such as baggage storage area.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission as of the end of September there have been at least 92 reports of batteries overheating, including 26 reports of customer burns and 55 reports of property damage.

The primary concern, the commission reported, is the phone’s Lithium-ion batteries which stores significant energy. During normal use and charging, devices have overheated and ruptured. The recalled devices have a 5.7-inch screen and were sold in the following colors; black onyx, blue coral, gold platinum and silver titanium with matching stylus. The word Samsung appears across the top front of the phone with Galaxy Note7 printed on the back.

Owners of the effected phones, which may include some of those recently replaced, should contact the wireless carrier, retailer, or follow directions found on the Samsung.com website to receive a refund or a new replacement device.