Product recalls: How you can protect your family

I can recommend you look at a website called RecallUK. This lists all the recalls. The man who set it up, Barry Mulcahy, constantly badgers the manufacturers for new information. It is thanks to his determination that much of the latest information has come to public attention and I greatly thank him. He is very knowledgeable on the issues and gives practical advice to consumers about what they should do if they have affected products.

You can also use the new product checker on the Electrical Safety Council website. Like RecallUK, it is independent and run by experts. As it is a new resource (starting only this week) I have not been able to test it out fully yet, but in principle this would be a good point of reference for anybody who is worried. The advantage is that you can enter a model number to quickly discover if your appliance is affected by a recall.

You could also take a look at the Trading Standards site. This lists recalls as they become known. It updates the information on a regular basis. You may find it amazing just how many big brand products are the subject of serious safety alerts - and most of us know nothing about it.