West Oxfordshire District Council

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Home safety

Electric Blanket Testing

The Council together with Trading Standards and Oxfordshire Fire Service carries out free safety checks, for residents of West Oxfordshire as part of a countywide scheme.

View a videoclip to find out more

Testing Days for this year:

Witney - 12 October 2012
Chipping Norton - 26 October 2012

An online form is available to register your interest for either destination.

Test Results

The test results for West Oxfordshire, for previous years, are shown in the table below.

Year	Tested	Passed	Repaired	Failed	% Failed
2000	155	70	11	74	48 %
2001	168	70	24	74	44 %
2002	191	101	24	66	35 %
2003	185	104	9	72	39 %
2004	178	106	11	61	34%
2005	158	99	6	53	34%
2006	176	103	1	72	41%
2007	141	97	3	41	29%
2008	191	135	1	55	29%
2009	172	102	5	65	38%
2010	184	114	0	70	38%
2011	204	141	1	62	30%

Old or damaged blankets cause more than 5,000 fires a year; blankets more than 10 years old are responsible for 99% of these. Each year around 20 people are killed and 100 injured as a result of such fires. The danger signs are:

Worn or frayed fabric.
Scorch marks.
Tie tapes (if originally fitted) damaged or missing.
Flex worn or damaged.
Loose electrical connections.
Damaged or displaced heating wires (hold the blanket up to the light to check).

If your blanket is more than 10 years old, or showing signs of wear and tear, the best advice is to get a new one. When choosing a blanket, always buy new and look out for a European Certification Mark such as the new BEAB safety mark.