LFB demands action on fridge standards
21st August 2017
UK: The London Fire Brigade has demanded action on manufacturing standards for fridges and freezers following the Grenfell Tower fire in June.
In a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) claims that more people will die in fires caused by faulty white goods unless the Government takes urgent action.
Although investigations are ongoing, a Hotpoint fridge freezer was identified as the initial source of the Grenfell Tower fire which destroyed 151 homes and left around 80 presumed dead.
The letter signed by the London Fire Brigade, the Mayor of London and other campaigners demands action before more people lose their lives. It calls for decisive action to improve product recalls and manufacturing standards for all white goods in the UK.
A year on from a major fire at Shepherds Court in Shepherd’s Bush involving a faulty tumble dryer, it says people across the UK are still using white goods that pose a serious fire risk and are subject to recall or corrective action. The LFB maintains that decisive action is still needed to improve product recalls and manufacturing standards for white goods in the UK
“Worse still, some fridges and freezers are still being produced with a flammable plastic backing, which offers very little protection against the insulation foam inside catching alight if a fire starts.”
It criticises a government report into the UK product recall system published last year for not addressing manufacturing standards for white goods.
The London Fire Brigade has long campaigned for improvements in manufacturing standards in fridges and freezers. It notes that work in the BSI committee is ongoing but says that five years after concerns were first raised this issue has still not been resolved.
It calls upon the government to put its full weight behind bringing about changes in the international standards for how white goods are manufactured and to look at what can be done to bring about these changes more quickly in the UK.
Related stories:
Fridge freezer caused Grenfell fire – 23 June 2017
UK: The UK government has ordered an immediate examination of the fridge freezer confirmed today as the source of the Grenfell Tower fire in London earlier this month. Read more…
Fridge safety standards must change – 25 June 2017
COMMENT: The Grenfell Tower fire will undoubtedly have far reaching consequences for the way we live, the way we construct and renovate our buildings and the way we deal with fires in high rise buildings. Read more…
Study pinpoints fridge fire hazards – 5 March 2017
UK: A number of components and flammable materials used in domestic refrigerators are identified in a new study into the reported 300 fridge fires a year in Great Britain. Read more…
