South Ayrshire Council is once again offering residents of South Ayrshire free electrical safety checks on their electric blankets.
As the nights start to draw in and become a bit cooler, some people may start to think about digging out their electric blankets. If you are one of these people you should have your electric blanket checked by a qualified person.
Councillor Peter Convery, Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and the Environment said: "As electric blankets age they can easily become worn and in some cases can cause a fire, which would be serious for anyone particularly for older people or those with disabilities.
"The purpose of the safety checks is to identify any potential fault in the blanket that may occur if it continues to be used. The reasons blankets fail these tests include general wear and tear, broken or visible wires and lack of electrical output. In general, if the electric blanket is more than ten years old, we strongly recommend that it is replaced."
The Council has carried out free checks for several years and the number of people having their electric blankets checked is consistently high; 61 blankets were handed in for testing last year, which was a 25% increase from the year before. Public demand for the facility has made it necessary for the exercise to be repeated annually. This is reflected in 21% of the electric blankets tested last year failing.
Drop-off points for the free safety checks have been arranged throughout South Ayrshire on Thursday 1 September between 10 am and 4pm. All blankets will be returned back to the drop-off points by Monday 12 September for collection by their owners.
South Ayrshire residents can drop off their blankets at the Trading Standards Office, 5-7 River Terrace, Ayr, or any of the following South Ayrshire Council Housing Offices:
- 2 The Cross, Prestwick.
- Municipal Buildings, South Beach, Troon.
- 64 High Street, Maybole.
- 19 Knockcushan Street, Girvan.
Anyone who requires any further information on the testing of electric blankets should contact Trading Standards officers on 01292 616020.