South Ayrshire Council’s Trading Standards have warned that old and faulty electric blankets still pose a fire risk to householders after the latest round of safety checks.  The consumer watchdogs, who annually run a project to check the safety of resident’s electric blankets, found a fifth of the blankets examined were so unsafe they were condemned beyond repair.

Faulty electric blankets, particularly older ones, pose a significant risk of fire in the home with the resultant potential for lives to be lost.  Newer blankets have safer wiring and a thermal ‘cut-out’ which will switch the blanket off when it starts to overheat.  Experts advise consumers to have their blankets checked regularly and to automatically replace blankets that are more than 10 years old.

The electric blanket safety day involves consumers leaving their electric blankets with Trading Standards staff who test them in their laboratory in Glasgow.  After the free safety examination the consumers are then advised whether any faults were found rendering the blanket unsafe to use.  The project has been extended in the last few years with consumers now being able to drop their blankets off at the Council’s Housing Offices in Troon, Prestwick, Maybole and Girvan. 

Commenting on the project, Councillor Hugh Hunter Convener of the Council's Community Safety Committee said,  “After nearly a decade of testing consumers' electric blankets it is clear that there is still a significant risk of fire from old and faulty blankets.  We will continue to carry out these checks in order to protect health of South Ayrshire residents.”

One local resident, whose blanket was condemned as too unsafe to use, was shocked with the result but relieved that she had found out before using her blanket this winter.   She commented, ”I noticed in the local paper that Trading Standards were doing these electric blanket checks.  I was about to use the blanket I’ve had for a few years but decided to get it looked at.   It came back with the plug cut off it and a warning telling me it was too unsafe to use.  I’ve bought a new blanket now and I’m glad I found out before I paid a much higher price.”

If anyone has any concerns about any safety issues Trading Standards have a number of different safety leaflets for consumers.  In particular there is a leaflet published by the Department of Trade and Industry, which gives good advice on what to look out for when choosing, using and storing an electric blanket, as well as possible danger, signs to be aware of.  This leaflet can be obtained from the Consumer and Business Advice Centre, 5-7 River Terrace, Ayr Tel: 01292 616060.   

October 2006