FIRE & ELECTRICAL SAFETY
A KILLER LURKING
Alison Carter gets to grips with the dangers of faulty electrical appliances and catches up with Electrical Safety First’s Martyn Allen to find out more about their A Killer Lurking campaign.
The issue of product recall may not seem like the sexiest of topics but with 50% of accidental domestic fires in the UK caused by electricity, and half of those created by electrical appliances, the need to recall faulty appliances is an issue that warrants attention.
Electrical Safety First (ESF) has been raising awareness for the past two years about the dangers associated with faulty electrical products, namely that they tend to be recalled because they pose a serious risk of fire or electric shock.
The average success rate of an electrical product recall in the UK is as low as 10% to 20%. With this in mind ESF launched A Killer Lurking campaign in a bid to inform consumers they may have dangerous products in their homes, as well as to encourage them to register items as soon as they buy them.
The charity has created an online game encouraging players to click on the hidden killers in a living room scene, which has been visited 12,500 times to date and has reached over 100,000 people via Facebook advertising.
Martyn Allen, Head of Electro- Technical at Electrical Safety First, said that in spite of the positive feedback there is still a long way to go to ensure consumers register new electrical appliances after purchase.
Martyn commented: “We have been looking at how manufacturers engage with consumers and often they don’t know who owns their products. There are usually several instances when a consumer’s data is captured by the manufacturer. Yet in spite of this, if the item needs to be recalled data protection barriers come up and the manufacturer cannot get access to a customer’s details – it’s bonkers!”
HOW DO ELECTRICAL
FIRES START? The General Product Safety Law, 2005, states no product should go to market
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until it is safe. Sadly, it seems many manufacturers are cutting corners, and failing to reach these standards.
Fires tend to start because of a failed electrical component caused by product design issues, failed safety checks or errors during the production process. A faulty electrical component, in close proximity with other plastics and combustible materials is asking for trouble.
Martyn explained that faulty appliances often come from the cheaper end of the market. He champions the Rapex, Rapid Alert System that enables a quick exchange of information between 31 European countries and the European Commission about dangerous products posing a risk to consumers.
DATA COLLECTION Martyn commented that manufacturers are often underhand about how a consumer’s data is used. In his experience white goods manufacturers use their Register My Appliance portal to gain consumer information but, as it is manufacturer- led, tend to be unclear about whether the registration information is to be used for safety or sales.
Martyn added: “Manufacturers need to capture consumer details and store them on a safe database that won’t
lead to customers being bombarded with sales messages.
“I am sensitive about organisation’s using my data for any old purpose but if I felt a manufacturer had my details, and they could overcome the data protection laws because there was a serious safety issue, I would be pleased that someone had wrote to me knowing that I had a faulty appliance, and I’d like to think other people would feel the same.”
It is in the manufacturer’s interest to gain information about which consumers have which products, because if, or when, an appliance needs to be recalled the cost associated with contacting customers and collecting products will be significantly reduced.
KEEPING THINGS QUIRKY A Killer Lurking campaign was linked to Halloween in a bid to convey the message about product recalls and appliance registering in a more engaging manner.
Whatever the medium, ESF are eager to hammer home the point that registering products isn’t entirely up to manufacturers. We, as consumers, can ensure our families and homes are safe by taking the simple steps to register our appliances shortly after purchase.
www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk www.tomorrowshs.com
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