Homes urged to check if appliances have a 'dangerous' plug that's a fire risk

08 January 2024 , 23:55

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People have been urged to check their plugs (Image: Electrical safety First)

Brits who received electrical items for Christmas have been urged to check if its plug is a potential fire risk.

Millions of people will have opened their presents on December 25 to find boxes full of handy new gadgets for around the home. However charity Electrical Safety First (ESF) says some gifts which may not be safe if they are plugged into sockets will have been unknowingly given to loved ones over the festive period.

While it can be difficult to tell if people have a dangerous product in your home, ESF has urged people to check their plug for one obvious sign it is not safe for use. The charity has previously found these types of plugs on a variety of popular electrical products including hairdryers, e-bike and e-scooter chargers, hair straighteners, heaters

Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at the charity, said: “If the Christmas gadget you received this year came with what we call a clover leaf-shaped plug, stop using it immediately.

“Your plug is the most obvious tell-tale sign as to whether your product is compliant and safe. A gift you received or a bargain you might have bagged should be fused so the device can cut out in the event of a fault. It should also have a distance of 9.5mm between the plug pins and the edge of the plug. If the plug attached to your device is clover in shape such as the one in the image, stop using it immediately and return it.

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“We find these plugs more frequently when electronics are purchased via online marketplaces. They are substandard and illegal for sale in the UK. The best way to protect yourself is to stick to reputable high street retailers.”

‌The charity is encouraging members of the public to share images online with the #postyourplug in order to identify more of the dangerous clover leaf-shaped plugs households which may have accidentally received over the Christmas period and January sales.

How to identify if your Christmas or sales gadget is substandard:

• Check the plug: if your item comes with a clover leaf-shaped plug, stop using it immediately.

• Ensure your plug has a fuse so that it can cut out in the event of a fault.

• Look out for spelling mistakes on packaging and manuals, good manufacturers will pay attention to the small details and not make these mistakes.

• If your gadget comes with a foreign plug and a travel adaptor don’t use it, it’s a sign that the seller has not taken the time to comply with UK standards as all products sold into the UK market are required to come with a compliant UK plug.

Antony Clements-Thrower