London Man Suffers Third-Degree Burns From Vape Explosion, Shares Photos

On February 19, reports said that many smokers who switch from cigarettes to vapes may believe vaping is better for their health and reduces the risk of causing serious harm to the body. Current research may suggest that this is the case, although the debate remains highly controversial. However, some incidents also show that vapes can still unexpectedly put people in very dangerous situations.

According to London news reports in the UK, Richard Bingham, a 37-year-old builder, was taken to the hospital after his vape exploded in his pocket when it came into contact with his keys.
  Richard Bingham
The report said the 37-year-old builder was very fortunate that when the incident happened last summer, he was working at Whittington Hospital in Holloway and was immediately taken to A&E for treatment.

Vaping has some potential safety hazards

Richard recalled: “I heard a hissing and crackling sound, and I looked around to see what was happening. Then the crackling stopped, and suddenly I felt intense heat in my pocket, so I immediately knew what had happened. I tried to take the vape out of my pocket, but it burned my hand, so I couldn’t get it out. When I tried to undo my boots, everyone was helping me so I could get my trousers off, but it was too late — I had already been badly burned.”

Investigators from the London Fire Brigade believe that the keys in Richard’s pocket may have caused the vape battery to short-circuit.
 
Richard Bingham wanted to share this photo to warn others about the dangers of vapes

Although Richard suffered third-degree burns and blistering on his hand, he did not need a skin graft. However, he said the situation could have been much worse if he had not happened to be in a hospital at the time.

Ironically, Richard’s girlfriend works at a vape shop, which made the whole incident even more striking, although she did not know that contact between a vape and metal objects could cause it to explode.

Richard added: “I’ve been using vapes for four years and have seen videos of them exploding, but you just never expect it to happen like this. I must have been very lucky, because I always have loose change or keys in my pocket — I just think people don’t realize the danger.”

Although the London Fire Brigade has only attended a few incidents involving vape batteries, firefighters remain concerned about unreported cases, as they may not have received reports of every related accident.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety Charlie Pugsley said: “Compared with the fires we see caused by cigarettes, vaping is considered a safer option. However, what concerns us is that in cases like Richard’s, batteries often short-circuit and fail, but they also have the potential to cause serious fires.”

The fire brigade has issued “vape safety tips,” such as using only the charger supplied with the vape, checking the battery, and protecting the vape from extreme temperatures.