Newsletter Piece – Autumn 2017
WASHING MACHINE FIRE RISK STILL PRESENT FOR THOUSANDS
OC’s URGED TO STAY IN THE LOOP ON IN-HOME PRODUCT RECALLS
WASHING MACHINE FIRE RISK STILL PRESENT FOR THOUSANDS
Owners corporations in Australia are being implored to take urgent action after reports that thousands of faulty washing machines around the country are going unnoticed as a serious fire risk. Six models in Samsung’s range of top loader washing machines have been issued with recall notices in the past, because moisture could penetrate electrical connectors, causing a fire hazard.
In August last year an elderly woman had to be taken to hospital after her Samsung washing machine blew up in her Sydney flat adding to the more than 200 machines that have caught fire or exploded in the past few years.
But with countless machines still unaccounted for, we are urging owners corporations to crack down on product recalls once and for all.We are concerned product recalls are not being taken seriously for the risks they pose, and subsequently are not being monitored closely enough.
And our main concerns are fixed on popular in-home products and appliances that could see strata owners and residents put at risk. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issues product recall notices on a regular basis, but the response from the public is almost always underwhelming and that’s a red flag for strata communities.
Samsung is the perfect case study. The six machine models recalled include:
- SW75V9WIP
- SW65V9WIP
- SW70SPWIP
- SW80SPWIP
- WA85GWGIP
- WA85GWWIP
Between 2010 and 2013, this accounted for 144,000 washing machines sold during the period, of which Samsung has recalled 85 per cent, or 121,000.This indicates that roughly 23,000 faulty washing machines remain unaccounted for in the marketplace across Australia, a risk that we want to see owners corporations play a part in mitigating.
To our mind, it’s critical that OC’s communicate any and all information they have on product recalls to their stakeholders to ensure safety is managed. Whilst it is up to consumers to act themselves, we believe the responsibility also extends to those who manage properties housing multiple consumers to drive action.
Strata title properties differ to single dwellings in that a fire risk or another safety issue becomes something that impacts on the lives of hundreds of building occupants, compared to what may be isolated to one house in the street.
It’s for this reason that we are encouraging proactive behaviour from these people and other strata stakeholders.
More information on these can be found here
Own one of Samsung’s recalled machines? Find out how to get a refund.
The content presented above is not intended to be advice and you should not rely on it as a substitute for any form of advice. This content is intended to be used for general information purposes only and may or may not reference the varied and constantly evolving strata legislation in each state and territory of Australia. It is always recommended that you seek independent legal instruction for interpretation of relevant strata legislation in your relevant state or territory.
