Oxfordshire residents urged to get electric blankets checked before winter
Free safety checks are being made available across the county
Oxfordshire County Council is urging residents to book their free electric blanket safety checks in preparation for the winter season.
Sessions will be conducted at various locations across the county, with full addresses and specific time slots provided upon booking.
Last year, 920 blankets were tested, and 338 of them failed safety assessments, showing a failure rate of 36.7 per cent, which had increased from the previous year.
Councillor Kate Gregory, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, said: “This is something we have been offering for 26 years, free of charge, to our residents, and we encourage everyone to take advantage of it. If the condition of a blanket is allowed to deteriorate, there is a risk it could become faulty, posing a danger of injury or fire."
"Blankets and throws might fail a safety assessment for many reasons, and even quite new blankets can fail. This is why it’s important to have them regularly tested at one of our free annual events.
"We know electric blankets might not be top of your summer to-do list, but now is the perfect time to make sure yours is safe for winter.”
Testing sessions will be held at:
- 21st September: Thame
- 22nd September: Rose Hill, Oxford
- 23rd September: Banbury
- 24th September: Chipping Norton
- 25th September: Abingdon
- 5th October: Didcot
- 6th October: Barton, Headington
- 7th October: Bicester
- 8th October: Witney
- 9th October: Wantage
The council says that electric blanket tests are normally very popular, and therefore must be booked in advance to be guaranteed.