A small percentage of Hewlett-Packard's HP 71 17-inch CRT monitors could give users an electric shock.

HP was alerted to the fault when one of its customers got a dose of shock treatment. The person did not suffer any physical injury according to the company.

The affected monitors were sold in the US, Canada, and several Latin American countries since July 2000.

HP says the defects affect 0.01 per cent of the HP 71 monitors, model number D8903A. Infoworld reports that 92,400 monitors with that model number have been sold since July.

In a statement HP says: "In rare circumstances, there is a risk of electric shock if a user comes in contact with a specific and limited area on the top of a defective monitor."

HP has tested 35,000 of the monitors and found four faulty ones. The company is not doing a product recall, but is advising customers and resellers on how to check their displays and how to get it fixed. ®

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