TÜV Product Service asked to judge fryer’s safety on BBC’s Watchdog programme

After thorough testing of a well-known domestic frying device, TÜV Product Service has concluded that the fryer represents a significant safety hazard both to people and property.

TÜV Product Service was commissioned by the BBC’s Watchdog programme to investigate after it had received complaints from viewers about the Tefal ActiFry fryer catching fire.

TÜV Product Service concluded that the fire was caused when the motor in the fan heater stopped turning. This caused the heater to rapidly overheat to such an extent that the plastic of the non-rotating fan blades caught alight, causing a significant amount of smoke to be emitted from the heater vents.

Richard Poate, Safety Compliance Services Manager at TÜV Product Service, comments: “Based on our tests, we believe that this fryer represents a significant safety hazard both to people and property, and that Tefal should recall the ActiFry and immediately modify the design.”

You can find the relevant extract from the programme on the BBC Watchdog website through the following link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2008/11/chip_pans_up_in_smoke.html