Watchdog firm Which? has called on the Government to tackle “Britain’s broken product safety regime” after new figures revealed faulty white goods are causing 60 fires a week.
The consumer group has published new figures today, which show kitchen appliances have reportedly caused almost 16,000 potentially deadly fires across the UK since April 2012.
In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which was started by a fridge freezer, Which? has now written to ministers, giving them 90 days to publish an action plan for the Office for Product Safety and Standards, which was launched last month.
Action plan
The letter also demands the action plan look at how the Office intends to remove the one million fire-risk Whirlpool tumble dryers from homes around the country.
It is part of the consumer group’s End Dangerous Products campaign, which calls on all manufacturers and retailers to immediately remove unsafe products from shops and people’s homes.
The figures published today also show faulty washing machines and tumble dryers caused more than a third (35%) of fires in the UK between April 2014 and March 2016.
Cookers and ovens were responsible for 11% of the fires during this time period, while dishwashers caused 10% and fridges, freezers and fridge freezers caused 8%.
Shocking
“It’s shocking that there are more than 60 house fires every week in the UK because of faulty appliances,” said Which? chief executive, Peter Vicary-Smith.
“People will undoubtedly be worried to hear our findings that some of the most common household appliances represent a disproportionate risk of causing a fire to being faulty.
“The Government must now publish an action plan for the Office of Product Safety and Standards in the next 90 days, setting out what it will do to keep dangerous products out of consumer’s homes and tackle Britain’s broken product safety regime.”
Real teeth
Commenting on the Which? figures, the chairman of the business, energy and industrial strategy parliamentary committee, Rachel Reeves, said: “While we welcomed the decision to establish an Office for Product Safety and Standards, we agree the Government must make sure it has real teeth and ensure it leads to more people registering their products, a better recall regime and ultimately a reduction in the number of fires that blight so many homes and put lives at risk.”
Fire Safety in 2023 eBook
SHP's sister site, IFSEC Insider has released its annual Fire Safety Report for 2023, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry.
Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.
Plus, explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.
I agree this aspect of safety has been seriously overlooked by the authorities. You can be prosecuted for all manner of safety and fire breaches, but it appears manufacturers and suppliers of white goods can escape justice with impunity.