Sunday 8 September 2013

Dangerous appliances used in homes despite recalls

Safety campaigners have found that less than a fifth of faulty electrical appliances have been repaired or returned over the last six years.

They are calling for manufacturers to face large fines if they fail to trace and repair the potentially fatal products such as cookers and fridge freezers.

There have been at least ten deaths associated with household appliances in recent years, caused mainly by fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Electrical Safety Council found around 20 per cent of 266 faulty items have been returned or repaired after recall notices were sent out in the past six years.

It believes millions of dangerous appliances are still in use in households across the UK due to inadequate recall systems.

The current penalty for manufacturers who delay issuing recall notices or do not do enough to inform customers is £5,000 but the ESC is calling for it to be a percentage of their profits, which could see the fine rise above £1 million.

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