By Graham K. Rogers

A press release from Apple made available a short time ago, announces a voluntary recall of AC wall plug adapters designed for use in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Continental Europe, New Zealand and South Korea. In some rare cases, certain Apple two-prong wall plug adapters may break and create a risk of electrical shock if touched.

The affected adapters shipped with certain Mac and iOS devices between 2003 and 2015. They were included also in the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit. Apple is aware of 12 incidents worldwide. Unfortunately, the World Travel Adapter Kit is sold in Thailand.

The recall does not apply to Apple AC wall plug adapters designed for Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, United Kingdom, United States or any Apple USB power adapters.

An affected wall plug adapter has 4 or 5 characters or no characters on the inside slot where it attaches to an Apple power adapter. Redesigned adapters have a 3-letter regional code in the slot (EUR, KOR, AUS, ARG or BRA). Details about and images of the affected devices and for information about the recall program are available on a page Apple has set up for the purpose.

There is also a Thai language page with the same information.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. He is now continuing that in the Bangkok Post supplement, Life.