Hundreds of home emergencies every year are caused by faulty electrical appliances.
From the dangerous – such as fire, electrocution and injury – to the troublesome – such as electrical breakdowns and power cuts – the number of problems that defective electronics can lead to is huge, and the consequences of these problems can be catastrophic.
People who are fortunate enough to avoid injury may face huge expenses repairing or replacing the defective item and making their home safe again.
Our home emergency cover will protect you against electrical breakdowns, appliance repairs and related emergencies, but there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself and your family from the risks posed by faulty electrics.
Electrical Safety First recently warned consumers that their homes may contain a number of faulty electrical goods, some of which may be subject to a product recall. These appliances could be immediately dangerous – for instance, a range of Beko fridge-freezers have been implicated in several house fires, including a blaze that took the life of Santosh Benjamin-Mithiah in 2010.
To mark the conclusion of the inquest into Mr Benjamin-Muthia’s tragic death, Electric Safety First urged consumers to:
- Register any electrical products they have purchased by using the card provided or over the internet. Many believe that the purpose of these registration cards is for marketing or data gathering, but in the event of a product recall, the details provided through this registration is the best method manufacturers have for getting in touch with their customers.
- Do not use any electrical products if they begin to make strange noises, if they overheat or if they produce smoke, and to alert the manufacturer immediately of the electrical appliance breakdown should these warning signs occur.
- Use Electrical Safety First’s Product Recall Checker to check if any of your appliances or electrical items have been recalled; use this service periodically in case there have been any updates.
Electrical Safety First Head of Technical Martyn Allen pointed out that currently, product recalls in the UK have a success rate of between 10% and 20%. This shows that the current recall system is “simply not working”, he remarked.
Faulty electrical items are a “real threat” to the general public and their properties, he argued, stating that manufacturers and authorities should have the “greatest onus” for reducing these risks.
Mr Allen said that he hopes that, as the inquest into Mr Benjamin-Muthia’s death draws to a close, manufacturers and authorities collaborate with each other to improve the recall system.
He called for improved product traceability, reviews of industry guidance and enhanced data sharing methods, stating that these changes, combined with consumers following the above advice, will ensure that similar tragedies to not occur in the future.
Need help with your appliances?
Don’t forget, we offer cover for a range of household appliances to ensure you have peace of mind should yours ever suffer a breakdown. Please contact us via our website or on 0345 3192 247 to find out more. Or call us today for urgent assistance. Our technical teams will run through some simple diagnostics to see if it can be fixed over the phone and if not, they’ll send a manufacturer engineer where possible to take a look.
Don’t attempt to repair the appliance yourself unless you’re really confident what you’re doing. A number of things could go wrong including risks of jamming, electrocution, burns, scalds, cuts and much more. We’ve got a number of highly skilled engineers up and down the country – so you’ll never be far from help when you need it most.
