New products tend to follow a familiar pattern. They arrive quickly, gain popularity, and then, just as quickly, can raise new safety concerns. When that happens, there’s often pressure to restrict or even ban them, despite their benefits.
Safety standards offer another path. Through safety science, advocacy, and collaboration among industry stakeholders, standards help make products safer and reduce risk without limiting access, so consumers can continue using the products they rely on.
We Help Keep Your Favorite Items Safe and Available
When a new product hits the market, it often brings excitement, and sometimes, unexpected hazards. In 2015, hoverboards quickly became a must-have item. But as their popularity soared, so did reports of fires and injuries, many linked to lithium-ion battery failures.
The numbers were alarming. In just under three months, from December 2015 through mid-February 2016, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission received notices from consumers of 52 separate fires directly related to hoverboards. By July of 2016, the number had nearly doubled to 99 incidents. As the risks became clear, ULSE was quick to develop UL 2272, the Standard for Electrical Systems for Personal E-Mobility Devices. By setting requirements for battery systems, electrical components, and chargers, the standard created a path for manufacturers to improve safety without removing these products from the market.
Standards in Action
In New York City, however, uncertified devices continued to be an issue. In 2021 and 2022, lithium-ion batteries were the third leading cause of residential fires in NYC. From 2019-2024, these batteries sparked more than 900 fires, injuring more than 500 people and resulting in 34 deaths. ULSE estimates that e-mobility devices caused the city over half a billion dollars in damage and loss between 2019 and 2023.
In response to rising incidents, the New York City Housing Authority proposed a ban on storing and charging e-mobility devices in its developments. But as an alternative to banning devices outright, FDNY established a task force, and in 2023, the city passed a law requiring micro-mobility devices to meet ULSE battery safety standards. Combined with public education efforts and incentives, this approach helped reduce deaths and injuries without restricting access to devices that many relied on for work and transportation.
Why Standards Matter for Consumer Access
When safety issues emerge, restrictions or bans can seem like the fastest solution. But they also limit consumer choice and stifle innovation.
Safety standards offer a better way: they provide a clear, science-based path for manufacturers to better address risks, improve product safety, and help keep products available to the public. The result is a balance: consumers retain access to the products they trust, while manufacturers can continue to innovate with safety considered from the start.
