"Check Your Electric Blanket," Says East Sussex Fire & Rescue

Tuesday, 1 December 2020 10:55

By Jade McLean

The service is urging members of the public to check electric blankets following a bed fire at a house in East Sussex.

The man who reported the fire was not in bed at the time and was unhurt after his faulty electric blanket caught fire.

He did, however, send a picture of the damaged bed to East Sussex Fire & Rescue to help warn others to check their blankets for faults.

Due to Covid-19 the service has been unable to run its electric blanket testing service this year, but they've provided a checklist to follow if you use one:

Check your electric blanket regularly and do not use it if:

There any scorch marks or discoloured areas on the fabric of the blanket
Wires are visible or poking through the fabric
The fabric is frayed or worn
There is damage to the power cable
The control makes a buzzing sound when switched on or gives off a scorching smell
The blanket's connector - where the electrical cable plugs into the blanket – is damaged or over-heating
Your blanket is over 10 years old as they need replacing every 10 years.

If your electric blanket is safe to use, make sure you:

Don’t touch the blanket if you have wet hands or feet, and never use the blanket if it's wet or damp
Don’t use a hot water bottle at the same time as using your electric blanket
Don’t use the electric blanket when it is folded or creased
Unplug the blanket before you get into bed, unless it has a thermostat control for safe all-night use
Never use it with an air flow pressure relief mattress
Never use it if you use emollient creams on your skin.
If you are buying an electric blanket, please always buy a new one (and not a second-hand one) that displays a UK or European safety mark, such as Kema Keur or BEAB Approved, and buy from a reliable source.

For more information see: https://www.esfrs.org/your-safety/safer-homes/electric-blankets/

East Sussex Fire and Rescue staff and community volunteers are checking in on those who may be feeling isolated or alone during COVID-19.

Although they're not currently making personal visits, you can now book a phone call to discuss possible risks in your home.

If the risk of fire is high and no one in the home is able to fit a smoke alarm, they will take protective precautions and fit a smoke alarm for them.

To find out more about a home safety visit, call 0800 177 7069 or complete and return a home safety visit request form which can be downloaded from their website at www.esfrs.org/your-safety/home-safety-visits/ and send it to Homefire.Safetyvisits@esfrs.org.

A member of their Community Safety Team will then be in contact to arrange a suitable time for a telephone chat.

They will ask a few simple questions regarding the property and its occupants, which will then help them determine how to assist.