Safety alert over popular home appliance due to ‘serious risk of fire’

An urgent safety alert has been issued for an electronic item that poses a ‘serious risk of fire’. It has been banned from sale, with the The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) sending out a warning about the product. 

The warning is for a Folding Washing Machine – popular for small loads like baby clothes and socks – with the barcode number 6987857868783. It has been described as a miniature washing macine with rubberised folding top, supplied in purple cardboard packaging. Originating from China, the import has been rejected at the border. 

The item number is STL0140, with a SM-1220 AC/DC adaptor. The OPSS warned: “The product presents a serious risk of fire as the plug pins do not meet the dimensional requirements of BS 1363 and cannot make a secure connection to the plug socket.

“Over time, this will damage the socket and plug, which may cause the product to overheat and catch fire. Improvements are also required to product labelling and marking.

“The product does not meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 or the Plugs & Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994.”

The OPSS has issued plenty of advice on how to stay safe when shopping, especially online. They said: “Think carefully about who and where you are buying from.

“While the internet has made it far easier to get a product delivered straight to your door, if you buy it from a seller based outside the UK there is a chance it may not be manufactured or labelled in accordance with our safety laws.”

People are urged to really look at any product they’ve bought for safety markings and clear instructions. 

If they don’t have either of these, or a name and address of the manufacturer, then this could be a ‘red flag’ that the product might not be safe to use. 

And you should always take extra care when buying things second-hand. If the instructions are missing, they may be available on the manufacturer’s website.