Take fire-risk appliances off the shelves immediately

That’s a good suggestion, Malcolm. It seems highly unlikely that the white goods on sale in the UK are different from those sold in Europe.

To start with it would be useful if the problem with plastic-backed fridges etc is recognised elsewhere in Europe.  It was the London Fire Brigade that first raised awareness of the issue in the UK, some time before Which? published the results of their investigations. Do any of our contributors subscribe to any of the European consumer organisations?

Obviously there is no need to put pressure on those manufacturers that have stopped producing this type of appliance but perhaps those that never did are worthy of commendation. I agree that it pressure should be put on regulators, manufacturers and standards bodies, but would add retailers. It is very easy to stop stocking questionable products. From the introduction we have learned that AO stock 173 affected models whereas John Lewis still stocks three. Let’s hope JL returns them to the appropriate manufacturer.

Rob, with regard to the duties of HSE, I think you are theoretically correct.

However, the basic intent of UK Healthy & Safety Law is that, whilst at work, everyone has a duty to minimise all risks, but only so far as is reasonably practicable.

So this begs the philosophical challenge that, if the public want to buy cheap fridges with plastic backs, and if those fridges comply with all current BS/IEC/ISO safety standards, why shouldn’t retailers sell them?

Currently all compliant fridges can be counted as being *safe*.

But, for that context, the meaning of safe is illustrated by:

If I regularly enter the UK National Lottery, it is safe for me to plan my life on the basis that I’ll never win a major prize.

It is reasonably practical to produce fridges with steel backs. We have done it in the past and although manufacturers are dragging their heels, we are heading towards all fridges having either steel backs on ones that are deemed fire resistant.

One of my concerns is how use of plastic backs and other case parts were approved in the first place.

wavechange, I also agree that is is reasonably practicable to produce fridges with steel backs.

Indeed, such products are currently available to those who wish to buy them and that Which? is providing freely accessible weblinks to help guide such purchases.

So, from the competing viewpoints of safety principles versus customer choice, is there any need for compulsion here?

For the sake of argument, if a customer is about to spend £200 on a plastic backed fridge, how might they be persuaded to spend a bit more, to get a steel backed one?

It would be interesting to know how much extra it costs to produce a steel-backed fridge. When Which? first looked at this issue I had a look to see if it was only the cheaper models that had plastic backs, but it’s not that simple.

Cars are tested for safety, but I’m not sure how many people take that into consideration when buying a car. My top priority was finding one with a spare wheel. Although some of us are very well aware of the plastic back issue, few of those I’ve spoken to know about it and I doubt there is any information at the point of sale.

Fridge and freezer design has taken several steps away from safety, in my opinion. Apart from the thermostat and interior light, which are unlikely to start a fire, the other component was the compressor, and that was sealed in a metal case, making it very difficult to start a fire. Most fridges and some freezers are auto-defrost, so there will be a defrost timer and possibly an electric heater. In my fridge, the defrost timer appears to be next to the compressor, but rather than encasing it in metal, there is a plastic cover that could easily have been steel or aluminium instead.

I don’t know for sure but suspect that manufacturers have used plastic backs to achieve higher energy efficiency ratings, and since these are shown at the point of sale they do influence choice.

If I lived in a tower block or flat I’m not sure I would be happy if people downstairs were buying cheaper and less safe appliances. But as I said above, I don’t see evidence that it’s just cheap ones that use plastic.

A zinc coated steel back would probably not cost much more than a plastic one. I doubt cost is a real issue. Fire retardent plastic could be used for the back. As I’ve said elsewhere, many formulations of plastic are available for different jobs and thus a material should not be condemned simply because it has the generic name “plastic”. Standards should (and do, I believe) specify the result required, not the means of achieving that result. Otherwise innovation is suppressed. The tests specified to ensure the required result is achieved should ensure the material used is appropriate.

I have no problem with alternative materials being used provided that they are fit for purpose, but have a look at the 2013 video in my link below. We don’t know which make and model of appliance the plastic was used in but it is clearly highly unsuitable.

Innovation is generally portrayed as positive but that’s certainly not always the case.

My guess is that, if it cost less to make fridges with steel backs and steel enclosed compressors, then they’d all be made that way.

It would be interesting to know for sure. Compressors (essentially an electric motor and pump) are always enclosed in steel, at least in household equipment.

Hi Daniel – Thanks for pointing this out. I have not paid much attention to the construction of older fridge and freezers or when plastic backs came in. It would be interesting to know the reasoning behind use of the glow wire test and not the use of the needle-flame test.

I do wish that Which? would look at the use of plastic parts in the casings of appliances. The photo I posted on the first page of this Convo shows how plastic can burn or melt, allowing flames to spread.

Which? could tell is about the latest IEC standard (IEC 60335-2-24) – I understand it does involve a needle flame test – and the EU’s probable amendments to the EN which should further strengthen safety requirements. I asked about this a long time ago but no mention is made in these Convo intros and campaigns.

Incidentally there are a number of glow wire tests at different temperatures depending on the application. Standard for assessing flammability.

As I have said before there are many different types of plastic with differing performances depending upon the application. Simply condemning “plastic” is misleading. Aeroplanes and cars…… I wish Which? would explain that there are international working groups looking at fire in domestic appliances with a view, no doubt, to revising safety standards.

Information like this should not be suppressed if a balanced discussion is to be carried on.