Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Callous Capitalism

A man died trying to save his children from a fire caused by a faulty fridge-freezer. Beko, one of Europe's largest white goods brands, had been aware of a problem with components as far back as 2003 but failed to rectify it. London fire brigade had written to the company after a number of fires on similar models. But the product was only recalled after Mr Benjamin's death. The fire brigade also said a London tower block blaze was caused by a Beko fridge freezer.

An investigation carried out by The Sunday Times  claimed Beko was warned in June 2010 that its fridge freezers posed a “potential threat to life” following fires.

Santosh Benjamin-Muthiah, 36, died from a lack of oxygen in Wealdstone, north London, in November 2010. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Following the investigation, the Metropolitan Police with the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was no realistic prospect of prosecuting Beko for manslaughter or corporate manslaughter."

 In November 2008 of potentially deadly flaws in some of its gas cookers following three deaths from poisoning. Three months later an advertising campaign was launched, by which time three more people had died. Four others are believed to have died as a |result of defective cookers.

Beko said some of its tumble dryers can overheat creating a potential fire risk.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/faulty-beko-fridge-linked-to-fire-death-of-northern-ireland-pensioner-29092160.html
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/05/fire-faulty-fridge-freezer-inquest

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