Fire chiefs call for government action to prevent more deaths
Fire chiefs have called on the government to implement safety recommendations to avoid further deaths in incidents like the Grenfell Tower disaster.
Thousands of dangerous fridges, freezers, tumble dryers and other appliances are still being used in homes across the UK, despite three years of warnings about the risks, the London Fire Brigade warned.The plea was made in a letter to Theresa May, which was signed by the London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton, The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, and other fire chiefs.
The Grenfell Tower blaze started in a fridge freezer, and the death toll from the disaster on June 14 is currently around 80.
The letter to the prime minister cites a number other incidents where faulty household goods led to fire-related deaths in the past few years.
The fire chiefs have a number of recommendations to improve safety procedures:
a central, searchable website for people to look up their appliances
ensure better manufacturing standards for white goods
all appliances should be identifiable after a fire