Back to the list

Keep Safe and Warm this Winter

Residents in Castle Point can feel warm and safe this winter by making sure their electric blankets are safe to use as the cold weather approaches.

Castle Point Borough Council is offering FREE electric blanket testing for residents on Wednesday 26th October from 10am – 2pm at the council offices, Kiln Road Benfleet, no appointment necessary. For those who are unable to travel, a pickup service is available. Please ring 01268 882200 option 5 to arrange this.

The danger from older or damaged blankets is very real. Faulty electric blankets account for fires in the home every year,  Please don’t take a chance. Bring any electric blankets you or your family or friends own in to be tested.

At last year’s event, almost a quarter of all the blankets checked were found to be faulty and destroyed for safety reasons. Many failures were due to the age of the blanket and several were found to be over 40 years old with no built in safety features. Other reasons included broken power cables, insulation problems, bonding and no overheat protection. Owners were informed about product safety recalls for their model of blanket that they had not previously been aware of, and they were advised to return the goods for a replacement.

While waiting for their blankets to be checked, residents can  get fire safety advice and book visits from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, get  personal safety advice and learn about the Befriender service and other local voluntary schemes.