Why are Zebra prescription printer power supplies being recalled again after ten years?

The defect sits inside the connector

The power supply unit is a black brick that plugs into the wall and feeds a specialised printer used in pharmacies and clinics. Inside the DC connector that goes into the printer, the flame‑retardant resin was mixed with the wrong ratio of a phosphorus compound. That resin is supposed to self‑extinguish. When the mix is off, moisture degrades the material over years. Humidity does the same. The connector can overheat and ignite. The fire starts exactly where the lead enters the appliance. This is the root cause. The PSU does not comply with the core requirements outlined in Regulation 5 and Schedule 3 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 specifically related to the general requirement to be “Safe” and for Protection Against Hazards (Non-Electrical) and Resistance to External Influences. The product was placed on the market before the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 came into force and therefore the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 duties apply.

A recall that never really ended

Zebra first recalled these power supplies in 2016. The new notice expands the manufacturing window to cover units made between 1 October 2006 and 31 December 2012. That is a six‑year production span. The affected desktop printers carry model prefixes that read like a parts catalogue: APxxx, GC4xxx, GK4xxx, GK888xx, GX4xxx, GT8xx, HC100, H/LP/TLP/Rxxxx (282x, 284x, 384x), PS4000, T2xxx, Thermal 284x, ZP4xx, ZP5xx. Card printers include BR1xxx, CN1xxx, J1xxx, P1xxx, SC1xxx, WM1xxx, ZXP Series 1 and ZXP Series 3x. The power supplies themselves were manufactured by FSP Group in the United Kingdom. PSD notification number: 2607-0208. Notified by: Health and Safety Executive.

What to check

Check the label on the brick. If the date code falls inside the expanded window, stop using the unit. Unplug it from the wall and from the printer. Visit the Zebra recall page titled "Power Supply Unit Voluntary Recall" for the replacement procedure.

The gap between paper and practice

A recall notice on a government website does not reach every pharmacist who prints labels at 6 am. The printer sits on a counter. The brick hides behind it. The date code faces the wall. Unless someone physically checks, the hazard stays live. The document gives no timeline for how long the replacement programme will run. It gives no contact number for clinics that have lost the original paperwork. The only actionable link is the manufacturer’s own page. The notice does not say how many units remain in service. It does not report any injuries or fires since the original 2016 action. That is where the official process ends and the real work begins.