Russell Hobbs issues customer recall of travel kettle that may cause a fire

Posted: 04/11/2015

Russell Hobbs, manufacturer of household appliances such as irons and kettles, has identified a defect in a batch of its white plastic 850ml travel kettles and has issued a notice to recall these products. In a statement on the Russell Hobbs website, the company says that “the defect may cause the switch in the handle to overheat, and in certain circumstances could result in a fire”.

The product recall for the Russell Hobbs travel kettle only applies to batches within model 14178. Russell Hobbs has advised that affected kettles have a batch code starting with the number 280 up to 365 and ending in 14, or the first three digits starting with 001 up to 240 and ending in 15.

Russell Hobbs has apologised to customers and advised any owners of the defective kettles to stop using them immediately.

Arran Macleod, a Penningtons Manches personal injury lawyer who deals with product liability claims for injured consumers, said: “This is not the first time Russell Hobbs has issued a recall on one of their domestic appliances. Last year they recalled a number of their irons because of a similar defect with the potential to cause a fire.

“This is very worrying news for customers who have faith that the products of well-known brands, such as Russell Hobbs, will be safe to use. Manufacturers are under a duty of strict liability where customers suffer injury as a result of a defective product and anyone who has suffered an injury as a result of a defective kettle is likely to have a claim for compensation. We deal regularly with consumers who have suffered injury as a result of defective products and would be happy to speak with anyone who has suffered an injury from these kettles.”

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