The Public Protection Partnership in conjunction with the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, are pleased to announce that we will be providing free electric blanket and heater testing for residents residing within West Berkshire, Wokingham and Bracknell Forrest between 28th October to 1st November 2024.
Around 43 fires a year are caused by faulty electric blankets in the home. The most common causes of these are overheating of the heating element or other component. They should be stored flat, rolled up, or loosely folded to prevent damaging the internal wiring. Heaters cause around three fires a day in England. They should be kept away from furniture and curtains and should not be used for drying clothes.
The testing will be taking place as follows:
- Monday 28th October – Hungerford Fire Station,
Church Street, Hungerford, RG17 0JG
- Tuesday 29th October – Newbury Fire Station,
Hawthorn Road, Newbury, RG14 1LD
- Wednesday 30th October – Frank Hutchins Community Centre,
Bradley Moore Square, Thatcham, RG18 4QH
- Thursday 31st October – Wokingham Fire Station,
13 Easthampstead Road, Wokingham, RG40 2EH
- Friday 1st November - Crowthorne Fire Station,
226 High Street, Crowthorne, Bracknell, RG45 7AP
All testing sessions will be open to residents from 9:30am – 3:30pm.
Residents wanting to have their items tested do not need to book an appointment, a drop-in service will be operating, this may result in having to wait to have items tested during busy times.
Councillor Iskandar Jefferies, Chairman of the Joint Public Protection Committee, said ‘Consumer Protection is a priority area for the Public Protection Partnership. Wear and tear on these products is inevitable and faulty blankets pose a significant fire risk. I hope to see that residents make good use of the opportunity to have these items tested.”
Alongside the testing, residents will be given advice and literature on how to keep themselves safe when using an electric blanket or portable heater at home and how to check for themselves if the item has any faults which could make it unsafe to use.
Residents will also be provided with information from the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service about how they can receive a free ‘Safe and Well’ visit at their homes.
For more information please contact tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk tel 01635 519930
