Stoke-on-Trent residents are being encouraged to get their electric blankets checked to make sure they’re safe to use.
The city council’s trading standards team is running two free events in September to make sure people can sleep safely in their beds this winter.
When they ran the same event last year, they found almost eight out of ten (78%) of blankets were not safe to use.
The events are being held thanks to funding from the national campaigning charity, Electrical Safety First (ESF). Anyone aged over 60 whose blanket fails will be given a new, replacement blanket.
The two events are being held at:
· Port Vale Football Club- Hamil Road, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 1AW on Thursday 12 September.
· Longton Market- The Strand, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 1BZ on Friday 13 September.
Unsafe electric blankets cause between 800 and 1,000 fires in the UK each year, with nearly 20 deaths and 200 injuries. Almost all (99%) electric blanket fires are believed to have involved blankets that are more than ten years old with no overheat protection.
Councillor Amjid Wazir, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability, said: “It’s been a lovely summer and residents have kept their electric blankets stored and unused since last winter. The experts at ESF say that folding blankets can break the electric contacts, which makes them a fire risk when they’re put back on.
“It’s so important everyone who owns an electric blanket comes along to one of these free events. If you or someone you know can’t travel to either one, please contact our trading standards team who can arrange for the blanket to be picked up and tested.
“And if anyone aged over 60 brings in a blanket that fails, we will take it off their hands and give then a new blanket to take home.”
Samuel Terry, policy and research manager at Electrical Safety First, said: “Electrical safety risks have been exacerbated in recent years by several wider factors, including the cost-of-living crisis, rocketing inflation, and rising energy prices.
“We are delighted to be funding projects that seek to keep people safe in their homes, with a focus on tackling risks associated with electrical products, increasing the public’s awareness of electrical safety, and promoting changes in behaviour.”
The Electrical Safety Fund is a major annual grant scheme which helps those most vulnerable to electrical injuries in their homes.
Run by ESF, the fund provides £250,000 to support dozens of local community projects across the UK that aim to reduce domestic electrical risks.
Around half of all domestic fires in the UK are caused by electricity, with most of those arising from electrical products.
If you have any questions about the electric blanking, or if you or someone you know has a blanket but can’t travel to the event, please call the city council’s trading standards team on 01782 237788.
For residents who are finding it particularly difficult to deal with the cost of living crisis: the council is working with partners to ensure people are receiving all of the support they’re entitled to when it comes to money and debt, energy, food and health.
For support visit: www.stoke.gov.uk/helpisathand.
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