A Hotpoint refrigerator has been identified as the source of last week's deadly Grenfell Tower fire in London, prompting Whirlpool to ask people who own the same model to contact the company.
Hotpoint has urged owners of its fridge-freezers to check their model numbers for safety reasons after one was identified as the initial cause of the Grenfell Tower fire.
A spokesman said Hotpoint was working with the authorities after its FF175BP model was found to have started the devastating blaze last week. He urged consumers who believe they own that model or the FF175BG to contact the company on a freephone hotline or visit the website to register their details.
“Words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy,” the spokesman said. “We offer our most profound condolences to the victims, those who have lost loved ones, homes, and possessions, and to their friends and families. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those involved, including the emergency services who risked their lives to extinguish the blaze and rescue those in the building.
“We are working with the authorities to obtain access to the appliance so that we can assist with the ongoing investigations. Under these circumstances, we are unable to speculate on further details at this time. We are addressing this as a matter of utmost urgency and assisting the authorities in any way we can. We will provide additional updates as our investigations progress.”
The government said it had ordered an immediate examination of the fridge-freezer by technical experts to establish the cause of the blaze, adding that at this stage there was no specific reason for consumers to switch off their fridge-freezers.
Greg Clark, the business secretary, said: “The safety of consumers is paramount. The device is being subject to immediate and rigorous testing to establish the cause of the fire. I have made clear to the company that I will expect them to replace any item without delay if it is established that there is a risk in using them.”
The Hotpoint FF175BP was manufactured between March 2006 and July 2009 and has not previously been recalled. Tests will be carried out to establish whether a product recall is necessary, the government said.
Hotpoint said a total of 64,000 units were made over the three years, adding that the number of appliances in use today would be lower because of normal product obsolescence.
The model was made by Indesit under the Hotpoint brand; both are part of Whirlpool, whose UK head office is in Peterborough.
A spokeswoman for the trading standards arm of Peterborough city council said it had contacted Whirlpool. “We have been in touch with the company and asked questions but the government is taking the lead on this and would be in charge of any product recall decision,” she said.
Hotpoint is expected to give customers further updates about what action it will take, and the government advised people to follow standard safety advice by not overloading plugs, ensuring sockets are not damaged, and checking cables and leads are in good condition.
The London fire brigade concluded last year that a faulty Indesit tumble dryer was the cause of a serious tower block blaze in Shepherd’s Bush, west London.
Whirlpool has been replacing or repairing an estimated 3.8m potentially faulty machines – made under the Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda Swan and Proline brands – across the UK after identifying a fire risk safety defect in November 2015, caused when excess fluff touches the heating element. It did not issue a product recall, telling customers they could continue to use their tumble dryer while waiting for the modification, provided it was not left unattended.
However, it changed that advice in February this year, telling owners of the potentially dangerous machines to unplug the appliances and stop using them until they were repaired.
Whirlpool: Hotpoint fridge owners should check units after London fire
The Metropolitan Police said Friday that the massive blaze originated with a Hotpoint fridge freezer manufactured by Whirlpool subsidiary Indesit.
Whirlpool (WHR) said in a statement that 64,000 Hotpoint units carrying the model numbers FF175BP and FF175BG had been manufactured between March 2006 and July 2009.
It said that owners of the model should contact its customer hotline and provide their details. Authorities said the model had never been recalled.
Whirlpool, which acquired Italy-based Indesit in 2014, pledged to work with authorities as they investigate the fire that left at least 79 people dead or presumed dead.
"We offer our most profound condolences to the victims, those who have lost loved-ones, homes, and possessions, and to their friends and families," Whirlpool said in a statement. "We are addressing this as a matter of utmost urgency."
The U.K. government has ordered an "immediate examination" of the unit by technical experts.
But it added that there was "no specific reason for consumers to switch off their fridge freezer pending further investigation."
Whirlpool said that fewer than 64,000 units were likely to still be in use because of normal obsolescence.
Shares in Whirlpool declined 2.5% in New York.
The Metropolitan Police said they are considering manslaughter charges among the criminal offenses that may have been committed in relation to the fire. Police said they are focused on how the blaze started, how it spread and whether any person or organizations should be held responsible.
Speculation has focused on the role that cladding apparently used in a recent refurbishment of the tower may have played in the fire, which appeared to spread quickly up the exterior of the tower in the early hours of June 14.
The government said Thursday it was carrying out tests on 600 high-rise buildings across England that are covered in cladding, with at least 11 high-rise buildings so far identified as having combustible panels.
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