A forty-year-old electric blanket was still in use as Trading Standards find 1 in 3 blankets fail test

A FORTY-year-old electric blanket that was still in use was one of 85 electric blankets that failed safety tests carried out by Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards.

Trading Standards Officers tested 259 electric blankets belonging to older people living across Warwickshire and found that 85 or 33 per cent failed tests.

Safety tests revealed that many of the electric blankets failed because of faults to switches or damage to internal wiring. Some had been the subject of a product recall by the manufacture that the owner was not aware of and some were simply too old.

Electric blankets that are more than ten years-old carry an increased fire risk because as they age, the unseen wiring within them will begin to deteriorate. Some that are very old, such as the forty year- old blanket, may also lack overheat protection, built-in to modern blankets to stop them from overheating if a fault occurs.

Trading Standards Officers were also able to provide 150 older people visiting the testing stations with personal safety packs containing advice on scams and doorstep rogue traders. Representatives of Age UK and Act on Energy also attended to offer older people information and advice on benefits and energy efficiency.

Warwickshire County Councillor John Horner, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety said: “We know that faulty electric blankets are a contributory factor in many house fires each year. This annual safety campaign continues to be popular with Warwickshire residents.”

There were a range of reasons for blanket failures:

• Some blankets were very old. Consumers should consider replacing their electric blanket if it is more than ten years-old. Old electric blankets, even if they are still working, carry an increased fire hazard risk because as blankets age, the unseen wiring within them will deteriorate.

• A few relatively new electric blankets had been the subject of product recalls by the manufacturer. In these cases the blanket was failed and the consumer was advised to return the electric blanket to the retailer to be rectified. To check an electric blanket or other electrical item against product recall lists, please visit: www.esc.org.uk/recallFor more information visit: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/electricblanket