The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has warned that thousands of potentially lethal whitegoods could be a “time bomb” in people’s homes. New London Fire Brigade (LFB) figures reveal there is nearly one fire a day in the capital, caused by whitegoods such as dishwashers, washing machines, tumble-dryers, fridges and freezers.
Of these, 90% were caused by a fault in the appliance or electrical supply, rather than human error.
Despite a reduction in fires in the home in recent years – 13% between 2011 and 2015 – those involving whitegoods have only reduced by 5% over the same period.
The LFB is now urging the Government to act on a recommendation made by presenter and journalist Lynn Faulds Wood, to introduce a single, publicly accessible register of recalled products. The recommendation was made following her recent review of the current product recall system.
Currently, consumers have to rely on a series of databases, manufacturer websites and media publicity to discover recall information.
Fire chiefs said they believe the current system to alert customers that a product is being recalled is “ineffective”, as only 10 to 20% are returned or repaired. The LFB also claim that faulty products often remain in circulation on the second-hand market.
LFB director of operations Dave Brown said, “While recent years have seen fires in the home steadily falling, fires caused by electrical goods are falling at a much slower rate.
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This story first appeared in Appliance Retailer.