Members of the public are being warned to be careful when buying and using electrical products, after a charger left on a bed overheated and caused a fire in an apartment in Dublin recently.

The charger overheated and burst into flames, causing extensive damage to the apartment in Islandbridge.

"Electrical products like hair straighteners, hairdryers, laptops and phone chargers can be incredibly dangerous if left on beds or sofas. Although duvets and quilts often undergo flammability tests, accidents like this can still occur," commented Pat Bracken of the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).

He urged people to make sure that products they buy have the CE Mark, which shows that equipment has undergone safety testing.

Between 2005 and 2014, 326 fires in Ireland claimed the lives of 366 people. In cases where the cause was known, 18% of the fires were due to electrical products, while 3% were due to electrical blankets.

In 2011 alone, almost 250 fires were caused by electrical equipment.

"Everyone knows the rules of basic fire safety and indeed many look out for safety standards, such as the CE Mark, when buying electrical products. However, although the device may be manufactured to the correct safety standards, it can still become very dangerous very quickly if not used in the appropriate environment," Mr Bracken noted.

The NSAI issued the following safety tips:
-Make sure you have at least one smoke alarm on every floor
-Test your smoke alarms weekly
-Look for fire risks such as overloaded sockets, candles and unattended appliances
-Have an escape route ready. Keep access routes clear and have your keys ready.