White Goods Safety
Did you know?
· In the UK 60 house fires a week are caused by faulty household appliances? (Which?)
· On average there are over 5 fires every day in England that are caused by domestic white goods? (Electrical Safety First).
· London Fire Brigade report that they attend at least one fire each day that starts from a faulty white good, some of which sadly end in fatalities.
Washing machines, tumble dryers, fridge freezers and dishwashers, these are all examples of white goods. These labour saving devices are part and parcel of our everyday lives, yet if they are not manufactured, tested, installed and looked after properly the consequences can be devastating.
All it takes is a few simple precautions to avoid becoming one of these shocking statistics.
Register your appliance
When you buy new white goods register them at Register My Appliance. If there is a recall on your appliance this makes it easy for the manufacturer to contact you and keep you safe. You should be eligible for a free repair, replacement product or refund.
Concerned about an appliance? Check for recalls
If you haven’t registered an appliance that isn’t working very well and it is cause for concern, then it’s worth finding out of there is a recall on it. There’s a handy product finder feature on the Electrical Safety First website you can use to do this. You may also want to follow @TheRecallExpert on Twitter.
Give it a pre-use inspection
A visual inspection of a white good or portable electrical appliance is a good way to make sure it’s safe to use. Look for signs of damage or faulty wiring. If you have any concerns don’t accept it and request a replacement.
Invest in some pre-purchase research
Before you invest a lot of money in your new white goods it’s worth doing a bit of googling to find out not just which white goods are the best value for money, but also if they are linked to any household electrical fires.
Is PAT Testing necessary?
Increasingly businesses are blurring the lines between office space and home space. With a recognition that employees’ wellbeing is important to a happy and productive workspace, there is a trend towards domesticating office spaces, including all the comforts, gadgets and white goods we’d expect to find at home.
Electrical appliances in low risk environments like offices don’t have to be tested every year and it’s not a legal requirement. However we would strongly recommend that any manager or business owner takes responsibility for making sure electrical equipment is checked regularly by someone who is suitably trained to spot potential fire hazards. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have written a couple of handy guides about this that are free to download from their website: ‘Maintaining portable electrical equipment’ and ‘Maintaining portable electrical equipment in low risk environments’.
Contact Ezra Safety Group
If you would like us to conduct a fire risk assessment for you or a health and safety audit then do get in touch with us. Our audits will make sure you are compliant with all regulations and legislation, but most importantly we help keep you and your workforce safe.
