Hoverboards, the self-balancing scooters and other similar devices are now banned on NC State’s campus.
The office of Environmental Health and Safety issued a campus-wide ban, effective Thursday morning.
These devices will not be allowed to be used, possessed or stored at residence halls, Greek houses, academic buildings, campus buildings, grounds or any other building owned and operated by the university, according to an advisory email sent out this morning.
For students that have them, the university will store them in a safe place until the owner finds a way to remove the device from campus, according to Associate Vice Chancellor of Environmental Health and Public Safety David Rainer.
Director of University Housing Susan Grant said that if authorities were to learn that a student is in possession of a hoverboard, actions will be taken.
“We aren’t going to go room to room looking for hover boards,” Grant said. “But, if the staff becomes aware of them, we will contact the Department of Environmental Health and Safety so that we can take the necessary steps in removing them from the building.”
Since hoverboards have grown in popularity, many students have reported seeing others using them for the most mundane tasks such as between rooms in the halls of dorms or on trips to the vending machines.
“I personally haven’t seen many on campus, but I think students are conscious of the dangers,” Rainer said. “This is just an attempt to prevent any future incidents.”
EHS advises that the ban is necessary because of concerns with lithium ion battery fires and injuries associated with hoverboards.
Rainer said that there have been no incidents of hoverboards catching fire on NC State’s campus that he or his office has been made aware of.
Batteries within these devices have been reported to burst into flames and are at higher risk while being charged, resulting in a fire that burns with intense heat. Many nationwide authorities have banned these devices and sale of hoverboards is in the processes of being chocked off.
