Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service is reminding appliance owners to register their fridges, washing machines or dishwashers this Product Safety Week (18–22 October 2021), which is backed by AMDEA (the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances).
With more than 210 million domestic appliances in use in UK homes, used for essential tasks such as cooking, refrigerating, laundry and vacuuming, the call is going out to all those who haven’t yet done so, to go on registermyappliance.org.uk and quickly record details of these machines, cost free.
Registermyappliance.org.uk is the AMDEA portal to make it quicker and easier for the public to register both new and older appliances, and to improve ownership data.
By doing so they ensure that they will be the first to know in the rare case of a safety notice or product recall. Yet, according to AMDEA, recent government research has revealed 49% of people have never registered their products.
Indeed, AMDEA’s recently commissioned nationwide survey covering both rental and owned properties, indicates that most respondents (83%) were unaware or did not think they could register an older appliance in use in their homes unless they had purchased it themselves.
This included equipment they found in their homes when they moved in, bought secondhand, or inherited from family or friends.
Whilst lockdown restrictions are slowly relaxing, there is still plenty of time for people to get some peace of mind by going to Registermyappliance.org.uk where they can quickly and easily log their home appliance details for nearly 60 brands, with most products up to 12 years old eligible.
HWFRS Prevention Manager Emma Roberts wants to reach those people who might not realise that older models can also be recorded or have not done so yet, although it is best to check first whether an older appliance is already subject to a recall on the Government recall listing .
Emma Roberts said: “We really want everyone in the local community to register their domestic products, in a simple, free and easy process.
“We want to get the word out there, that even large white goods, whose history you may know very little about, can also be registered. This includes second-hand appliances as well as those inherited from a friend or even that chest freezer that was perhaps already in your home when you moved in!
“All can be registered – better safe than sorry.”
Safety matters for appliance owners @Registermyappliance.org.uk:
- Register all your appliances for a safer home – Registermyappliance.org.uk
provides access to over 60 leading brands. By simply clicking on the brand logo the user reaches a data entry form linked directly to the relevant manufacture. The vast majority accept registrations of products up to 12 years old. - Check if you have a recalled appliance right now – productrecall.campaign.gov.uk/
- Follow recall instructions to the letter – If you receive a safety notice or a recall, it is important to follow the manufacturers’ instructions and act straight away
- If you’re unsure what to do contact your manufacturer or retailer – A quick Google search using your brand / UK / customer service will provide details for the manufacturer’s customer services team.
- Share information with those around you who could be at risk – Ensure older and more vulnerable owners don’t miss out on any vital, free, product safety repairs by sharing information with neighbours or loved ones. Or take to social media and retweet messages @HWFire and @regmyappliance