Household appliances are running the risk of fire

Fire risk household appliances will kill more people if the Government continues to delay improvements to the product safety recall system, it is claimed.

Ministers have been accused of failing to act on recommendations to ensure products that are known to be a risk are fixed or junked.

The warning comes from a group led by the London Fire Brigade, which said there are around three fires a day around the UK caused by tumble dryers alone.

The issue has taken on more urgency in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire scandal, which appears to have been triggered by a faulty fridge freezer. 

Malfunctioning washing machines, dryers and fridges, are just some of the appliances that have caused over 9,574 fires in just three years. Pictured is a family’s burnt-out appliance in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire

That appliance was not the subject of a safety warning, however many other fires have been attributed to kitchen appliances that were a known risk.

The Government asked consumer champion Lynn Faulds Woods to review the product safety recall system two years ago, however she says her recommendations were ignored and her report was kicked into the long grass.

Her review proposed setting up a small Government backed agency, potentially funded by a levy on industry, to oversee product recalls.

She said a Government backed website should be set up to list all product safety recalls in a single place, making it easier for people to discover whether their appliances were safe.

She also advised that a body like the British Standards Institute should draw up a template for how companies should organise a product safety recall and notify customers.

Ministers blocked most of these proposals and instead argued that sorting out the system should be left to the companies which make the dodgy appliances. 

The issue of fire-risk household appliances has taken on more urgency in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire scandal, pictured, which appears to have been triggered by a faulty fridge freezer

The issue of fire-risk household appliances has taken on more urgency in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire scandal, pictured, which appears to have been triggered by a faulty fridge freezer

The fire service said it is ‘extremely concerned’ that despite the review and several fatal fires, ‘no substantial changes’ have been made.

The LFB pointed to the tower block fire in Shepherds Court, west London, 12 months ago, which destroyed the homes and possessions of a number of families. It was caused by a faulty Indesit tumble dryer, which was subject to safety warning.

Following that fire, the Brigade made a series of safety recommendations of its own, many of which mirrored those in the review by Lynn Faulds Wood.

The letter from the LFB warns: ‘A year on people across the UK are still using white goods that pose a serious fire risk and are subject to recall or corrective action.

‘Worse still, some fridges and freezers are still being produced with a flammable plastic backing, which offers very little protection against the insulation foam inside catching alight if a fire starts.

‘We are deeply concerned that, a year after Shepherds Court, decisive action is still needed to improve product recalls and manufacturing standards for white goods in the UK.’

The letter calling for action has been sent to Theresa May and has been signed by LFB Commissioner Dany Cotton, pictured, and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan

The letter calling for action has been sent to Theresa May and has been signed by LFB Commissioner Dany Cotton, pictured, and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan

The Brigade said that, excluding the Grenfell death toll, which is yet to be finalised, there have been nine fire deaths and 298 injuries from fires involving white goods in London in recent years,

These include Santosh Benjamin Muthiah, who died after saving his wife and two children from a fire which was caused by a faulty Beko fridge freezer.

The coroner at his inquest recommended a series of measures to improve product recalls in 2014 which are also still to be acted on.

A letter calling for action has been sent to Theresa May. It has been signed by LFB Commissioner Dany Cotton, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, and representatives from the Fire Brigades Union, National Fire Chiefs Council and Electrical Safety First.

Mr Khan said the Government’s delay in implementing the safety recommendations was ‘inexcusable’.

He said: ‘The terrible tragedy at Grenfell Tower in June is a stark reminder of just how devastating a fire caused by faulty white goods can be.

‘The Government and manufacturers must urgently act to help prevent any further tragedies.’

Ministers claim they have made progress on improving product recalls. This includes ‘considering the framework for a national body to support consumers on product safety’.

A Working Group is developing recommendations, including ‘considering a new standard on recalls’.  

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