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Whirlpool is to issue a product recall of tumble dryers that have yet to be modified, the Office for Product Safety and Standards has announced.
The announcement on Wednesday comes after the OPSS informed the consumer goods company of its intention to serve a recall notice last month.
Consumers with an unmodified, affected tumble dryer will be entitled to a new replacement machine that will be delivered and installed at no cost. The old unit will be removed.
The OPSS said Whirlpool had also agreed to publicise the recall in order to reach affected consumers, guarantee there would be no charges for delivery, installation or removal of machines, and provide “timely” progress reports to the regulator.
Last week, Whirlpool executives told MPs the number of faulty tumble dryers in homes across the country may be far higher than first thought.
The business, energy and industrial strategy select committee heard 800,000 units could be affected.
Kelly Tolhurst, the consumers minister, said: “The UK has some of the toughest consumer protection laws in the world. Our intervention demonstrates that we will take all the necessary steps to keep consumers safe.
“I want to reassure consumers that we are doing everything to ensure consumers with unmodified machines are made aware and have their tumble dryer replaced. Consumers with an unmodified machine should contact Whirlpool to arrange a free replacement.”
Whirlpool also revealed it had logged 54 fires in its tumble dryers in recent years, and admitted three of the models involved had already been updated. There have been 1.7m products modified.
Jemma Spurr, whose modified dryer caught fire, told politicians she was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement about the incident.
She was given an apology by Whirlpool’s communications chief, Jeff Noel, who said: “I apologise to you for whatever distress this situation has caused to you, to your family, to your loved ones and your neighbours.”
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