Huge Recall Includes Some Devices on Market for 40 Years
Manufacturer Kidde has launched one of the largest product recalls in history amid concerns that fire extinguishers might not work in an emergency.
Today, society as a whole has a far better awareness of fire prevention and safety than ever before. The UK has a fire safety record that is the envy of the world and is seen as a benchmark to which other countries aspire.
Whether it is at home or in the workplace, we have a broad array of detectors, alarms, fire equipment signs and, of course, fire suppression equipment that we can always call on in the event that the worst happens.
At least, that is what we all assume, and it is the reason we religiously make sure those annual inspection take place. We want to be 100 percent sure that the fire extinguisher will perform its potentially life-saving work if it is called on to do so.
It comes as a huge shock, then, for millions of Americans and Canadians to hear that some 40 million fire extinguishers are being recalled amid concerns that they will not work at the critical moment. Even more shockingly, the problem is thought to have already contributed to at least one fatality. Although Kidde is an American brand, they do export to the UK, so there could be some faulty devices here too.
What is the problem?
The fault became apparent when emergency personnel attended a serious road accident in 2014 and the fire extinguishers failed to function as they should.
Further investigation revealed that the extinguishers can become clogged over time, leading to two serious consequences. The first is that they fail to spray and are therefore useless for fighting the fire. The second is that the clogging effect causes a build-up of pressure, resulting in the nozzle flying off with enough force to cause serious injury.
In addition to the tragic fatality, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) states that there have been a further 391 reports of extinguishers either failing to operate as they should, or of nozzles flying off, or both. These incidents have resulted in 16 injuries, including minor burns and smoke inhalation. There were also almost 100 reports of property damage stated to be directly linked to the defective extinguishers.
Which extinguishers are affected?
The recall applies to 134 different models of plastic-handle and push-button fire extinguishers in the North American market. These were made over the period from 1973 to August of this year. It includes some models that had already been subject to a recall in March 2009 and again in February 2015. The CPSC said that there are approximately 37.8 million units in the USA and a further 2.7 million in Canada that need to be returned.
Owners are being advised to contact Kidde for instructions on how to return the recalled extinguishers and obtain a free replacement. Kidde, meanwhile, has stated that it is working tirelessly in cooperation with the government to ensure the recall is effective and that consumers are provided with a safe and effective replacement as rapidly as possible.