Notebook Safety Hits Hot Button with Military Shoppers

  • Published
  • By Army Air Force Exchange Service
  • Army Air Force Exchange Service
DALLAS, Texas (AAFESNS) --  In the past six months, four Army & Air Force Exchange Service electronic suppliers have issued recalls on notebook computer batteries. Furthermore, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is aware of at least 47 incidents involving smoke or fire associated with notebook computers, from January 2001 through August 2006.

"Our Soldiers and Airmen regularly work with the latest technology available," said AAFES' Quality Assurance Director Joan Scheffler. "Because of their comfort level, AAFES sells a lot of hi-tech merchandise and is generally affected by most industry-wide alerts."

With more than 200,000 notebook computers sold to military shoppers since 2004, AAFES, in conjunction with CPSC, offers tips (below) to encourage the safe use of notebook computers and batteries.

More than 40 AAFES associates provide troops and their families the world over with the highest level of customer protection through a combination of five broad programs: inspection, supplier quality assistance, product testing and analysis, social responsibility, and food and drug safety. As a result, AAFES' team of technicians, veterinarians, inspectors and even a graduate gemologist have visibility of products from assembly line to check out.

The AAFES quality assurance team defines quality in terms of "fitness for use;" i.e., if an item is not fit for intended use, then it is not a quality item. Anything that adversely affects appearance, serviceability or salability of an item is considered a defect.

"Safety of an item is an integral part of quality because if an item is not safe to use, it is not fit for use," Scheffler said. The quality assurance team must monitor that.

Once merchandise in AAFES' stock assortment is identified as unsafe, the quality assurance team immediately issues a recall or alert in conjunction with federal agencies. All product recalls and alerts relevant to AAFES are posted and archived online at http://wwwaafes.com/pa/news/QA_Recalls.htm.