HP Reports Monitor Defect

Hewlett-Packard reports that a defect in one of its monitors can give users an electrical shock.

The company became aware of the problem with the HP 71 17-inch CRT monitor, model No. D8903A,a month ago when a user in North America reported being shocked, HP spokeswoman Andrea Bass says. The person was not injured. "We reacted immediately, of course, and took immediate steps to solve the problem and track down the monitors," Bass said. HP, which has shipped 92,400 of the monitors sinceJuly, tested more than 35,000 and found only four with the defect, Bass says. No other products have been affected.

The company says it has notified customers and resellers and is providing information on how the monitors can be fixed or replaced. Customers in the United States and Canada may call 800-428-2446.

"The defect, resulting from an irregularity in the manufacturing process of this monitor model, affects approximately 0.01% of the units," the company said in a statement. "In rare circumstances, there is a risk of electric shock if a user comes in contact with a specific and limited area on top of a defective monitor."