Electrical product recalls are issued when a product may present a safety risk. A recall should be treated seriously, especially where the risk involves overheating, fire, electric shock or battery failure.
This TESC guidance page is designed to help households, landlords, agents and property managers recognise avoidable electrical risks before they become incidents.
Product safety is separate from an Electrical Installation Condition Report. An EICR assesses the fixed electrical installation, while plug-in equipment, chargers, extension leads and portable products can introduce additional risks after the installation itself has been inspected.
Key issues, warning signs and safer practice.
Stop using an electrical product if it shows signs of overheating, melting, burning smells, loose connections, damaged cables, exposed parts, buzzing, cracking, smoke or repeated tripping. Do not keep testing a suspect product to see whether it happens again.
Where the concern relates to fixed wiring, sockets, consumer units, earthing, RCD protection or repeated circuit faults, the matter should be checked by a competent electrical contractor rather than treated as only a product issue.
Use this page as part of the wider TESC safety and compliance resource centre.
Unsafe, fake or misleading electrical goods.
Small plug-in devices with serious risks.
Avoid overloads, daisy chaining and heat build-up.
Marketplace checks before buying electrical goods.
E-bikes, scooters, power banks and chargers.
Not always. A recall is a safety action to correct or remove a risk. The instruction may be repair, replacement, return or disposal depending on the product.
If the notice says to stop using the product, it should be taken out of use immediately.
Yes, especially for landlords, agents, care homes, HMOs and managed properties where electrical safety records may be reviewed later.
Product safety, fixed wiring safety and compliance records all work together. Use TESC resources to understand electrical risks, check EICR records and find registered providers where inspection or remedial work is needed.