Faulty household appliances still putting hundreds of thousands at risk from fires

HUNDREDS of thousands of people are at risk from fires caused by potentially deadly dishwashers, ovens and washing machines.

A range of faulty appliances made by Whirlpool-owned manufacturers Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda, including dishwashers which were declared unsafe four years ago, are still being used in people’s homes. They contain a potentially faulty electrical component which can lead to overheating.

The appliances have been linked to dozens of fires in British homes. Whirlpool is in the process of fixing and re- placing 4.3 million tumble dryers across the UK, after customers were notified of a widespread safety defect last October. Last night safety experts warned the Government’s process for recalling faulty goods was inadequate.

Since 2011, more than 330 different electrical items have been recalled, including frequently used products such as phone chargers and adapters, kitchen appliances, hair dryers and washing machines. But vast numbers of “dangerous” items are never repaired or returned, and continue to pose a hazard.

London Fire Brigade’s head of fire investigation, Charlie Pugsley, said: “While recent years have seen fires in the home steadily falling, fires caused by electrical goods are falling at a much slower rate. We strongly believe a single, publicly accessible register of recalled goods would make all the difference.”

Philip Buckle, director-general of Electrical Safety First, a governmentfunded safety group, said: “We know there have been fires caused by these appliances and we think the risk is just too big to take. We are advising people to stop using affected appliances until they have been modified and declared safe to use by Whirlpool’s engineer.”

Whirlpool said its customers’ safety was its “number one priority”.