Glass on top of just shattered
MR J’sTOP CONSUMER TIPS
IT could be a bad winter if forecasts are to be believed. And with bad weather comes the increased likelihood of having a car accident.
Here are some tips on what to do if you are unfortunate enough to have a prang.
They come courtesy of Smartdriverclub, which offers a telematics-based insurance and advice service.
Look around and check if you need to call the emergency services.
If your accident means the road is blocked, you should definitely call the police.
Call your insurer as soon as possible after a crash as most companies have time limits in their policies.
It is also worth noting that you should always inform your car insurer of an accident even if you don’t wish to make a claim. Smartdriverclub has some tips on what to do if you have an accident in the AN IKEA customer has raised safety concerns after a glass top exploded for no apparent reason.
Richard Winship heard a loud noise when he was in another part of the house and rushed to investigate what had happened.
He discovered the top, part of IKEA’s Besta range, had shattered.
Ornaments and pieces of glass were scattered on the floor.
The wall and the unit on which it was placed were damaged by the blast.
Now he has called for the sale of the top, part of a mix and match furniture range, to be banned while an investigation takes place.
But IKEA say they are taking no further action.
Richard, 55, said: “I bought a new house three years ago and filled it with IKEA furniture. I was sitting having lunch and heard an almighty bang.
“The glass was everywhere but there was no reason for the explosion.
“We don’t have children, or pets, so we know nothing like that was the cause.
“This should not happen and I am worried from a health and safety point of view.
“I’m just glad no-one was sitting on the sofa when it happened or they could have been injured.”
Richard, a lecturer, called IKEA but was not impressed at the way they handled the complaint.
They said the top was out of warranty and it would not be replaced.
IKEA said the top, which is made of tempered glass, shatters into small cubes and not in long shards. They said the cause of the explosion could be a previous strike or even just a scratch which had caused tension in the glass.
Richard said: “They said it was the nature of tempered glass to shatter when exposed to knocks, strikes or scratches.
“They admitted it can be loud and perceived as quite dramatic with glass spreading widely.
“I used to work in a glass processing factory and I know something about glass. To break it you have to really hit it. This explosion happened for no reason.
“This is a real safety concern and I believe all other Besta products should be withdrawn until a full investigation has been undertaken.
“We were very lucky as we were having lunch in another room when this piece of glass exploded or a serious injury may have occurred.”
There has been spate of similar incidents involving IKEA glass furniture.
The Mirror reported how in July Dan Chilcott, of Bristol, was watching TV when the room was showered with glass from a self-assembly unit just feet away. He had bought the popular £40 Detolf cabinet only three days earlier.
Dan, 28, said: “There was a loud bang as if someone had thrown something at it and it shattered into fragments.
“It seemed to physically explode. I just thought, ‘What on earth was that?’”
And in March Eileen and Ken Perkins, of Ipswich, told how they thought they were being burgled when their cabinet exploded in the middle of the night.
A spokeswoman for IKEA said: “The safety of our products is our highest priority and our entire range is tested rigorously.
“We understand the experience of the glass breaking can be distressing, however all of our glass table tops are made of tempered glass.
“Tempered glass is designed to shatter to minimise risk of injury.
“Over time small knocks and fractures can affect the durability of tempered glass and this can cause breakage, even if such damage isn’t visible. We have been in direct contact with the customer and we are currently investigating the matter further.”