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Fire service issues electrical safety advice

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Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) is issuing advice on the electrical safety of white goods.

White goods are large appliances like tumble dryers, washing machines, fridges and freezers.

Group Commander Mick Cadman from the HWFRS Community Risk department said: ‘A third of all accidental house fires are caused by faulty or misused electrical equipment. Sadly fire crews attend many fires each year caused by faulty electrical appliances, but you can carry out a few simple checks and precautions to make your home safer..

So here's what you need to know to know to stay safe whilst using white goods:

  • Always register your appliance with the manufacturer so you can be notified if there is a problem.
  • Always follow the manufacturer's instructions
  • Make sure appliances have a British or European Safety Mark
  • Buy from a reputable dealer/manufacturer and never buy second hand white goods.
  • Always make sure new appliances are registered so that manufacturers can contact you in the event of any problems – it takes minutes to registermyappliance.org.uk
  • If you are concerned about the safety of a product stop using it and make your concern known to the retailer, manufacturer or your local Trading Standards office.
  • Unplug electrical appliances when not in use (unless designed to be left on e.g. Fridge)
  • Maintain tumble dryers and washing machines and clean the filter and clear excess fluff regularly
  • Keep all appliances clean, safe and in working order
  • Don't overload sockets – follow the one plug per socket rule.
  • A list of recalled products is available on the gov.uk Product Recall page.

Group Commander Cadman concluded: "The importance of smoke alarms cannot be underestimated as they can ultimately save your life. Please ensure that you have one on every level of your home and test them each week. If you would like to see if you qualify for a free Safe and Well Check, please call the Community Risk team on 0800 032 1155 option 2.