Two yearly testing of electrical blankets flags up some damn scary facts and figures.

The Isle of Man runs a scheme every year where residents are asked to bring in their electrical blankets for PAT testing, potentially flagging up any problems with blankets before they become a danger.

This year saw someone bringing in an electrical blanket that no fewer than 55 years old!

‘It was 55 years old and our expert said it could even be older. The elements were made of asbestos apparently. The tester won’t even touch one that is over 12 years old and we had so many failing. said Peter Killey of Douglas fire station.

Needless to say the electrical blanket failed the test. In fact, it failed on the visual test alone, and never even advanced to the next stages of full PAT testing.

It is recommended that people throw away electrical blankets after ten years, never mind 55!

The testing found in general that around 40 per cent of electrical blankets brought in (100 of around 250) were faulty and had to be taken out of circulation.

That’s an extremely high number still, even though the amount failed has gone down since two years ago. It just goes to show how dangerous electrical blankets can be, and we can’t stress enough the importance of making sure you regularly get them checked out as they are a serious fire risk.

If you know any elderly people who rely on these kinds of blankets in the winter you should also encourage them to actively get them tested, or replace the blanket entirely if there’s any doubt about its safety.

‘As a general guide, people should have their electric blankets tested every two years and any that are more than 10 years old should be replaced.” said Mr Killey.

‘Faulty blankets can be responsible for devastating household fires and this year’s failure rate of 40 per cent brings that risk into sharp focus.’

“This was a very worthwhile safety initiative and it was beneficial to work in partnership with other government departments and the “third sector”. These sessions form an important part of our ongoing campaign to improve all aspects of consumer safety. We would also like to thank staff at Castletown Civic Centre, the Northern Swimming Pool and National Sports Centre for their co-operation.’