A MILLION homes are at risk of a Grenfell-style blaze because of ‘unacceptable’ failings by US consumer goods giant Whirlpool
A cross-party committee has called for the US giant fix a million 'dangerous' tumble dryers already blamed for 750 fires over the past decade
A MILLION homes are at risk of a Grenfell-style blaze because of “unacceptable” failings by US consumer goods giant Whirlpool, MPs stormed last night.
A powerful cross-party Commons Committee demanded the US giant fix a million “defective and potentially dangerous” tumble dryers already blamed for 750 fires over the past decade.
And it set Whirlpool a new deadline of dealing with each customer complaint within just two weeks.
The Committee also urged the Government set up a new National Product Safety Agency – saying the Whirlpool issue exposed huge flaws in the UK’s current product safety regime.
Labour’s Rachel Reeves, the Committee chair, stormed: “Whirlpool’s woeful response to the defect in its tumble dryers has caused huge worry to people with these appliances in their homes.
“Their delayed and dismissive response to correcting these defects has been inadequate and we call on Whirlpool to resolve issues urgently.”
The blast comes a year the company - the maker of Hotpoint and Indesit dryers – warned three million UK families that the machines were only safe to use if the owner was at home and not asleep.
Whirlpool said excess fluff could catch the heating element and cause a fire.
In November, bosses insisted they had worked “proactively” to identify safety issues. But a month later they cancelled a scheme which offered customers a discount on replacement models.
Whirlpool admitted it was aware of the fire risk as long ago as 2012 – but continued to make the dryers for three years.
In a report last night, the Business and Energy Committee said the Government had to urgently review product safety guidelines.
And it urged Ministers to respond to an independent review carried out nearly two years ago by consumer champion Lynn Faulds Wood.
She made eight recommendations including establishing a central agency but these are still to be implemented.
IS YOUR DRYER ON THE FAULTY LIST?
IF you bought a Hotpoint, Proline, Creda, or Indesit dryer between April 2004 and October 2005 then you need to check if it's faulty. You can do this by locating the serial code and model number (found on the back of the dryer) into the online checkers at or . Non-affected machines will have a green sticker on the inside of the dryer door or reverse of the machine. Affected customers can also call 0800 151 0905 for the UK or 1800 804320 for Ireland.
MORE ON WHIRLPOOL
The London Fire Brigade, safety experts and consumer group Which? have all urged Whirlpool to change its advice to customers after The Sun in August revealed faulty white goods were responsible for 10 fires a DAY.
This included a fire in a London tower block in August last year, as a result of a faulty machine.
Experts blamed washing machines, dryers and fridge freezers like the one which sparked the Grenfell Tower blaze last June.
A committee spokesperson said: “The Government's top priority is to keep people safe and Britain’s product safety requirements are among the highest in the world.
“We are considering their recommendations, including the creation of a new national oversight body, and will respond shortly.
“We have already taken a number of steps to improve our product safety regime, including upgrading the Government’s recalls website to make it clear to the public which white goods are safe to use.”