Government launches new working group on product recalls and safety (19 October 2016)

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy is demanding that the makers of faulty tumble dryers do more to ensure the safety of consumers.

The Consumer Minister Margot James MP is writing to Whirlpool UK asking for reassurance that everything possible is being done.

Ms James has announced a new government-backed working group to deliver urgent recommendations to improve the safety of white goods, including tumble dryers.

An on-going review into local authorities will also prioritise the issue of product safety, following an investigation into a serious fire caused by a tumble dryer in Shepherd’s Bush, west London. The investigation concluded that the cause was a tumble dryer with a fault previously identified by the manufacturer.

In the letter sent to Whirlpool UK Managing Director Maurizio Pettorino, Ms James asked Whirlpool for reassurance that everything possible was being done to ensure the safety of consumers and their families.

Although Whirlpool has made significant efforts to modify the affected machines, the Consumer Minister does not consider this goes far enough –
and has asked the managing director to look at options to reduce the waiting times for machine modifications.

The government also wants consumers to receive a clear response committing to action within an agreed timeframe – and for Whirlpool UK to improve how it communicates the option of receiving a replacement machine, rather than a modification, to its customers.

The new working group on product recalls and safety will bring together expertise from the fire service, trading standards, consumer groups and industry – and will report back with interim findings by the end of 2016.

Areas of focus will be the causes of fires in white goods, the marking of appliances to make them easier to identify after a fire – and a code of practice for product recalls, including the peer review of risk assessments.

The Consumer Minister has also asked an on-going review into local authorities, to prioritise the enforcement of product safety regulation.

Consumer Minister Margot James said:

“Manufacturers should be doing everything they can to make sure their products are safe to use and, where needed, rectifying issues as quickly as possible.

“This government takes consumer safety very seriously – and I have offered to meet the managing director of Whirlpool to discuss how the company can improve its response to this issue.

“I also want to see what more can be done to improve the safety of white goods – and to support local trading standards officers to make sure customers aren’t put at risk.”

Information on products currently subject to recall from manufacturers will be displayed at product safety and recalls on the GOV UK website.


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