Which? has recently reported on its findings about the propensity of different appliances to cause fires.
The consumer rights magazine analysed data collected by fire brigades about the causes of fires.
The results showed that of all fires caused by product faults washing machines made up 14 percent, tumble dryers 12 percent, and dishwashers 11 percent. It issued a warning to consumers that it isn’t the appliances they might expect that create the greatest fire risk — ovens, toasters, and irons seem more likely candidates.
Note that the data is subjective, as it relies on the opinion of the investigating fire officers.
Which? also analysed the brands involved, to the extent that this was possible from the data available. It found that some of the highest numbers were for Hotpoint dishwashers (one recalled model, plus another model, the DWF3, as yet not recalled) as well as Hoover and Candy washing machines, but emphasised that the lack of “market share” data, and the small numbers involved, means that “It’s not possible to say beyond doubt which brands are most likely to catch fire.”
In response, Hotpoint said, “We believe it is difficult to compare relatively small numbers of incidents against market share and draw these conclusions. Hotpoint’s assessment of the DWF3 dishwashers found the risk was ‘very low.’ As only a small number of these are still in use we concluded repairs weren’t necessary.” Hoover said its own data showed that damage and installation problems contributed to the fire numbers, that these were small, given the 2 million appliances in use, and that it was confident there were no common issues, because of its own thorough incident investigations.
Recall mayhem
As we’ve described previously even when a manufacturer decides that a product needs to be recalled, it’s never going to work out as it should. The Electrical Safety Council found that the average level of success was 10 to 20 percent for product recalls in the UK.
The lack of effectiveness of the recall process is supported by the Which? findings. It asked 1,091 members of the public about recalls:
- A quarter reported that they had owned a product that was subject to a recall or safety notice.
- The majority knew about the recall because they had received direct mailings from the manufacturer.
- Two thirds contacted the company for a repair or a refund.
- A quarter said they stopped using the product or threw it away.
- Five percent decided to continue using the product.
Further investigation of consumer attitudes showed that notices which clearly stated the nature of the problem were far more likely to result in action than those which were looser in content.
Clearly, the best chance of finding out about a recall is to be registered, rather than hope to notice some advert in a newspaper. But consumers are sometimes reluctant to register purchases with the manufacturer, not wishing to sign themselves up for the inevitable stream of “extended warranty” offers.
The more useful safety angle is somewhat hidden to the average householder. After all, manufacturers are never going to promote registration with the words, “Tell us where our product is and who you are, so that we can let you know if it turns out to be a death trap.”
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