VERY IMPORTANT..PLEASE READ

The story

Never, ever answer a cell phone while it is being CHARGED!! A few days ago, a person was recharging his cell phone at home. Just at that time a call came and he answered it with the instrument still connected to the outlet. 

After a few seconds electricity flowed into the cell phone unrestrained and the young man was thrown to the ground with a heavy thud. His parents rushed to the room only to find him unconscious, with a weak heartbeat and burnt fingers. He was rushed to the nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. 

Cell phones are a very useful modern invention. Never use the cell phone while it is hooked to the electrical outlet! FORWARD THIS TO THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER IN YOUR LIFE. 

Comments: I have rated this warning "overblown" because it stems from a solitary news report published in 2004 about an First-Nation's man who was fatally electrocuted while answering a cell phone that was plugged in for charging. Assuming the report was accurate, it is fair to conclude that either the phone or the charger was defective, given that 

1) I could find no other reports of people being electrocuted while using a charging cell phone, 

2) under normal circumstances the current flowing into a charging cell phone ought not to be strong enough to kill anyone, and 

3) neither manufacturers nor consumer agencies warn customers against using mobile phones while they are being charged. Under the circumstances, therefore, it would seem excessive to label the ubiquitous device "an instrument of death." Which is not to say no one has ever been injured by a cell phone. Over the past few years there have been numerous reported instances of cell phones exploding or catching fire, causing injury to their owners. Most of the incidents were blamed on the use of faulty and/or unauthorized batteries. 

Safety Precautions: To prevent such mishaps, the U.S. CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) has recommended safety precautions which include the following: 

 * Don't use incompatible/unauthorized cell phone batteries and chargers. 

 * Don't tamper with the battery or allow it to be punctured, crushed, or come into contact with metal objects outside the phone. 

 * Avoid damaging the phone by dropping it, keeping it where it can become overheated, or allowing it to get wet. 

 * Follow manufacturers' instructions for battery usage, storage, and recharging.