Child Safety READ THIS

[maltheviking]

This article is also posted in “Consumer Affairs”

I have written the article with the public in mind, but I think that we all need to be aware of the situation as we in the trade have the opportunity to advise the public.

I will outline the problem.

The majority of domestic washing machines that have been sold in the last 20 years have a door lock that basically locks when the machine is in operation.

These locks are electrically operated. If the power to the machine is switched off for any reason, power cut, children playing with the controls etc., the door of the washer can be opened after a short period of time allowing access to the water in the machine.

Most machines a capable for heating water to 95 degrees, which is just short of boiling, if you put your hands in that water you will be “scalded”. Most people would not do such a thing BUT CHILDREN do not appreciate the danger.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THIS DANGER

To test if your washing machine has one of these locks, first put the machine onto a wash and start it off, half load button if you have it. Or select a programme that does not fill above the bottom of the door glass. When it starts to tumble switch the machine off and wait for up to five minutes. Then carefully try to open the door BUT do not force it as you may cause damage, if it opens you have the delay lock; if it does not open then your machine has a different type of lock (pneumatic), which in my opinion is the safest type.

On a final note I must point out that children should not be allowed to “play” with the controls of any domestic appliance in the house. When you are not using the appliance, SWITCH it off at the socket outlet or switch. Make it safe.

Mal

[andy_art_trigg]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

Why is it not illegal to manufacture and sell a washing machine that allows access to scalding water so easily? Most of them do it now, simply to shave a few more £££’s off production costs.

I suppose an argument could be that ovens allow their doors to be opened while extremely hot? But an oven that locked it’s door until temperatures were safe would be useless, it’s fairly straight forward to make a washing machine safer in this regard, without affecting function.

[maltheviking]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

I am supprised how few comments there has been on this subject 😮

[andy_art_trigg]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

Aye, there’s a wave of apathy sweeping over this place 😉 maybe we’ve said it all? 😛

[kwatt]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

I dunno Mal, I mean what’s the odds of it happening? I’ve certainly never heard of such a thing… ever.

You’d have to just happen to be doing a boil wash, just happen to have a failure or power cut before the wash is done and just happen to have an unattended child near the machine. I fancy I’d get better odds on winning the lottery than all that from happening. Don’t get me wrong, it’s possible, but then anything is possible but it strikes me as being highly improbable.

K.

[andy_art_trigg]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

kwatt wrote:You’d have to just happen to be doing a boil wash, just happen to have a failure or power cut before the wash is done and just happen to have an unattended child near the machine. I fancy I’d get better odds on winning the lottery than all that from happening. Don’t get me wrong, it’s possible, but then anything is possible but it strikes me as being highly improbable.

K.

Or you could be doing a 60 degree wash which is pretty scalding, and the kid could switch the machine off itself, then open the door. Much less odds of that happening? 😉

Consumer legislation doesn’t normally shy away from long odds, it’s more concerned with consequences, but I suppose a scalded hand is the only real potential consequence as water levels are so low.

[edited to correct spelling mistake of the word “consequences” because I became concerned about the consequences of posting with glaring spelling mistakes]

[maltheviking]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

kwatt wrote:I dunno Mal, I mean what’s the odds of it happening? I’ve certainly never heard of such a thing… ever.

You’d have to just happen to be doing a boil wash, just happen to have a failure or power cut before the wash is done and just happen to have an unattended child near the machine. I fancy I’d get better odds on winning the lottery than all that from happening. Don’t get me wrong, it’s possible, but then anything is possible but it strikes me as being highly improbable.

K.

I saw a child (2 year old ) do it!! fortunatly the machine hadn’t been on long so the water was not to hot. Some parents could not acre less what their children do, but thats another story. My point is we are in a position to make sure it dosn’t happen, and do we not have a responsibility to do so? most parents are horified when its pointed out to them, or maybe we should be like the rest and stick our heads in the sand and say nothing, I dunno one child hurt is one to many

[Martin]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

maltheviking wrote:My point is we are in a position to make sure it dosn’t happen, and do we not have a responsibility to do so?

It is’nt really a question of any of us being apathetic on the issue and our sympathies of course go to the little girl that was injured. But any issues you may have in this regard should be addressed to the B.E.A.B or the D.T.I.

As you are aware, older machines either have a pneumatic locking mechanism, a bowden cable or a timer knob locking device fitted. To conform to the legislation on devices that at the time had higher water levels. These days no such danger is perceived (rightly or wrongly?) due to much lower and therefore safer water levels. Additional safety systems would not be seen to be necessary?

5 years or more back (I forget now when?) there were 2 seperate incidents where the door of certain Indesit machines could be opened whilst the machine was still spinning. That resulted in both children having either their arms torn off, broken or badly maimed. And then only private prosecutions by the victims families actually got Indesit to accept the problem and carry out modifications to the Interlock!

All we in this trade can do is to constantly remind people to not allow children anywhere near these potential lethal devices in the first place. Very recently, after I personally pointing out to the authorities the dangers of the latest range of Indesit Dishwashers. An appliance where that little 2 year old can easily reach inside the base of the machine and grab the electrics within……but hey! that’s another story that ended with fobbed off shed loads of cattle poo from those that could have done something about it 👿

[kwatt]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

Another one Mal (which happens to be a pet of mine) is the BEAB regulations on external temperatures for cookers. Far, far more dangerous and far, far more common to cause burnt little fingers due to the manufacturer cost cutting and yet not BEAB nor anyone else seems in the least interested in doing anything about it. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if a few cases hit the national tabloids there’d be an outcry, an investigation (at we taxpayer’s expense), a subsequent witch hunt for the “responsible” person that let it happen and then the inevitable public flogging.

The sad thing is it takes all that to get anything done!

My point is, as is Martin’s, that there are more pressing and urgent safety matters that have a far greater chance of causing harm yet these are ignored. Therefore the chances (IMO) of anyone actually doing anthing about this is most likely zero or less.

K.

[maltheviking]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

Martin wrote:
All we in this trade can do is to constantly remind people to not allow children anywhere near these potential lethal devices in the first place. Very recently, after I personally pointing out to the authorities the dangers of the latest range of Indesit Dishwashers. An appliance where that little 2 year old can easily reach inside the base of the machine and grab the electrics within……but hey! that’s another story that ended with fobbed off shed loads of cattle poo from those that could have done something about it 👿

When I first brought this to light several years ago BEAB were not interested for the very same reasons you are quoting. The media (“watchdog” and Julie Finnegan’s, we can work it out) on TV, were not interested because they had no records of this being a problem, basically this was not “programme” material unlike the Indesit door problem which gave them good mileage, (blood, batter and kids) they were rubbing their hands.
My only hope is that everyone takes this subject onboard, and we at least advise those parents that let their kids play with appliances. I don’t suppose any of us would sleep at night if there was an accident and we hadn’t said anything, would we?

As an afterthought, could UK Whitegoods have a page on the web site to list the dangers that we as the trade know about?

[kwatt]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

maltheviking wrote:As an afterthought, could UK Whitegoods have a page on the web site to list the dangers that we as the trade know about?

Yep, I did the cooker one and you’ve done the article on this, anymore?

K.

[Kentish]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

To my way of thinking, the kitchen and its associated appliances are “work enviroment”. I wouldn’t let small kids play with my tools or power tools, so why should parents let their kids play with appliances?

AFAI remember, weren’t Zanussi sued years ago by some parents because their young child recieved serious burns when she stuck her hands on a hot oven door? Didn’t Zanussi then counter sue the parents (on behalf of the child) for letting the child play in a work enviroment…..and Zanussi won as the judge agreed it was a work enviroment and the parents were negligent?

[Martin]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

Keep the little tykes out of the kitchen in the first place!

99.9{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of homes that should have one of these…..hasn’t!!!!!!!!

[whitevanman]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

kwatt wrote:Another one Mal (which happens to be a pet of mine) is the BEAB regulations on external temperatures for cookers. Far, far more dangerous and far, far more common to cause burnt little fingers due to the manufacturer cost cutting and yet not BEAB nor anyone else seems in the least interested in doing anything about it. K.

Buy a baumatic (in house & home mags etc) top quality machines 😛 approved with the CE mark not BEAB, single oven without cooling fan facia will get to 96C Baumatic said this was satisfactory.

The other point how many manufactures use BEAB in the UK, Brother ditched this due to them taking 6-9 months for a product to come back with their approval. and moved towards BS.

[kwatt]

Re: Child Safety READ THIS

Sorry Baumatic but unless the ambient in the room was 36C or more then that actually contravenes the BS guidlines, which you can read HERE assuming that the fasia is glass or stainless.

Of course you have to do a proper surface test to confirm this and I’ve only ever had one fail, but…

K.

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