Half of tools from hire firms fail safety tests in undercover probe

HALF of the DIY tools rented out by hire firms failed safety tests in an undercover investigation, a watchdog said today.

Two of the companies – Jewson and Hire Station – removed tools from their shelves after tests by consumer group Which? revealed safety faults.

Problems included unearthed plugs, worn and broken blades, kitchen foil used as a fuse and damaged wires, all of which could have caused injuries, the watchdog said.

Tools from major and independent hire companies were tested for electrical and mechanical safety defects in accordance with British standards and guidelines from the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Which? said.

All three tools from Speedy Hire had faults, including a split hose in a wallpaper stripper which could leak hot steam.

Two out of four tools hired from Jewson failed tests, which found a loose earth screw on a tile cutter's transformer, increasing the risk of electric shock.

At Hire Station, two out of four tools tested revealed faults. A blown fuse had been repaired with foil in a tile cutter transformer, which kept the current flowing but increased the risk of fire.

All three tools from Brandon Hire had faults, including a cut in an extension lead cable which left only basic insulation and exposed users to an increased risk of electric shock.

At independent hire firms, two of the four tools tested had faults. A circular saw was hired without a riving knife, designed to prevent the blade snagging and kicking back at the user.

The only company to provide equipment with no safety faults was HSS Hire.

Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith said: "DIY enthusiasts trust these stores to provide safe, reliable equipment, but half the tools we tested failed our rigorous tests and some could have caused serious injury.

"We expect higher standards from hire companies. They need to consistently check tools. If the shops we visited had carried out effective basic checks, they would never have loaned out half of the equipment."

Which? said "most" companies agreed to remove the tools on test from their shelves to investigate further. Some of the findings had been reported to trading standards officers.

A spokeswoman for Jewson said: "Jewson was extremely concerned upon learning of the findings of the Which? report into tool hire safety and immediately launched an internal investigation and removed the tools in question from our branches.

"As a result of this investigation we have put new measures in place, including additional safety checks, to avoid any recurrence of this incident in the future."