0:00:04 > 0:00:06Take a look around your home.
0:00:06 > 0:00:11Can you be sure every appliance is safe?
0:00:11 > 0:00:16Is everything a company tells you about a product true?
0:00:18 > 0:00:20And are you getting the best value for your money?
0:00:20 > 0:00:23With the help of the country's top experts
0:00:23 > 0:00:25we're going to see what it takes
0:00:25 > 0:00:29to test the household products we use every day.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35We'll discover how they're pushed to their limits.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40We'll put the makers' claims on trial.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45And show you how to make your money go further.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48You'll find these products in any ordinary house.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50But this is no ordinary house.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53And no ordinary street.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55This is the Watchdog Test House.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Hello, we're deep inside one of Britain's leading science centres.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Here at the Building Research Establishment
0:01:07 > 0:01:13some of the products and materials that we use every day are put to the test.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17To make sure that they are safe, environmentally friendly,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and that they don't fall apart.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Coming up on today's programme'
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Thinking of leaving your appliances on overnight?
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Be aware.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29I do believe that we could have easily been killed that night.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32The experts working behind the scenes to investigate the causes
0:01:32 > 0:01:35of domestic fires AND ways to prevent them.
0:01:35 > 0:01:43This is when the room starts to develop to flashover, when a fire in a room becomes a room on fire.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47See-through packaging and elaborate names - just a few of the tricks
0:01:47 > 0:01:51supermarkets use to encourage you to buy their products.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52But do they really work?
0:01:52 > 0:01:57I'm a big fan of actually being able to see what I'm actually going to buy, and these look nice.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01And the hidden chemicals that caused allergic reactions.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06It felt like 50% of my body was burnt.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Thousands of fires were caused last year by faulty household appliances
0:02:14 > 0:02:16like dishwashers and washing machines.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19The advice? Don't turn them on before you go to bed
0:02:19 > 0:02:22or when you leave the house. It may sound extreme.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Until you find out just how hazardous they CAN be.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32On 6th July, 2012, Martin Squires was at home with his wife and three children.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36I'd just been to check on my five-year-old son
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and, on returning back to the room,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I thought I'd just pop into the kitchen for a glass of water.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Now, I'm glad I did at that point, because the dishwasher was
0:02:45 > 0:02:49making a strange noise and I looked round and saw a slight bit of smoke
0:02:49 > 0:02:53coming out from the control panel followed by a burst of flames.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56His dishwasher was on fire.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Luckily, Martin got to the plug in time and managed to switch it off.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04I grabbed hold of the door and wafted it, to extinguish the flames.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08The room was just filled with a black, acrid smoke which affected
0:03:08 > 0:03:12all of us in the house, we were coughing, we had to open all the windows.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17If it hadn't been for Martin's quick actions, the consequences could have been much more serious.
0:03:17 > 0:03:23Sometimes we would put the dishwasher on just before going to bed.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26If that had been the case, I do believe that we could have easily
0:03:26 > 0:03:28been killed that night.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31So what was it that went so horribly wrong?
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Well, as a qualified electrician, Martin was able to investigate the source of the fire himself.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41I realised it was an internal component on a PCB.
0:03:41 > 0:03:48Basically, on the dishwasher, this controls all the programmes - that was over heating and
0:03:48 > 0:03:51catching fire. Now, that shouldn't be happening.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57No, it shouldn't. The company agreed and recalled the appliance. But it took them nine months.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Although Martin had identified the fault with his dishwasher,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07the company needed to look into whether this was a one-off fault,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09or actually a design fault.
0:04:09 > 0:04:15So what happens when a faulty kitchen appliance causes a fire that destroys a whole kitchen?
0:04:15 > 0:04:18How does a manufacturer begin to investigate that?
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Well, they may turn to this man, Peter Mansi, of Fire Investigations UK,
0:04:22 > 0:04:27an independent company specialising in investigating the causes of fire.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Our remit is to identify the true causes of fires.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Until we know that, we can't put prevention methods in place
0:04:35 > 0:04:37to stop them happening again.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Whether it's to work with the manufacturer,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44to perhaps promote a recall notice,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46or even a redesign of an appliance
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and to share that with the public at large
0:04:49 > 0:04:51to make it a safer environment for everybody.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Later, we'll be finding out just how they do this
0:04:54 > 0:04:57here at the Building Research Establishment.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01And if you're not yet convinced of the risks of leaving your dishwasher unattended,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03you'd better keep watching.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15We spend an impressive £1,500,000 on our food shopping every week.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19It's big business, which is why our every move between the aisles
0:05:19 > 0:05:25has been carefully studied, to try and discover the secrets of what we buy, and why.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31And companies certainly put what they learn to good use, turning it into marketing tricks and techniques
0:05:31 > 0:05:35that influence how we shop, without us ever realising.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Ah. Yes, Sophie, the weekly shop.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Whether it's a quick dash in for the essentials or a big trip to
0:05:42 > 0:05:46buy the family groceries, you might think that what we choose to put into our baskets
0:05:46 > 0:05:48is entirely up to us.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50But you'd be wrong.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54So when consumers are out shopping, they use lots of intuition,
0:05:54 > 0:05:55lots of emotions,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59and retailers are really trying to tap into those
0:05:59 > 0:06:02mental short cuts that people have, that consumers have,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06and really what they're trying to do is increase perceptions of quality
0:06:06 > 0:06:11or perceptions of taste of products by tapping in to those mental short cuts.
0:06:11 > 0:06:19So, we're going to reveal how they do it, why they do it and whether we REALLY fall for it.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Taking price out of the equation, the key battle ground for quality
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and trust is not necessarily what's in the product, but what's on
0:06:25 > 0:06:27the outside - the packaging.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30So, for our test, we're going to be designing our own.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34One of the recent trends in packaging is transparent packaging,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38the ability for consumers to actually see the product.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42This is a really effective way of influencing consumers simply because
0:06:42 > 0:06:46when they're able to see the product they're able to actually imagine
0:06:46 > 0:06:49either tasting or using that product.
0:06:49 > 0:06:55So that's exactly what we're going to do with our first product.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Although these two packets of biscuits look very similar,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02we're giving one of them a window, so shoppers can see the biscuits on the inside.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Now, what happens when people pass these sorts of packaging
0:07:06 > 0:07:09is that they barely noticing the non see-through one, but they are much
0:07:09 > 0:07:13more likely to stop on the see-through packaging.
0:07:13 > 0:07:19Next, how the product is described - cue our version of a convenience lasagne.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24More and more, retailers will use very specific language to describe products.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29This could be things like "home-made", like "premium", or "luxury".
0:07:29 > 0:07:32These sorts of words trigger positive memories,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36positive associations, which again are related to quality.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38So this simple beef lasagne becomes
0:07:38 > 0:07:41"Luxury Select Beef Lasagne,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45"with a rich tomato ragu and a creamy bechamel sauce."
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Delicious.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50But why stop there?
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Another interesting element that retailers use on packaging is sense of place,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57the origins of the product. It could be things like
0:07:57 > 0:08:02Italian home-made or authentic Indian or from a Scottish farm, for instance,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08so that particular sense of place gives an authenticity to the product
0:08:08 > 0:08:14and perceptions of quality of that product and therefore consumers are more likely to choose it, as well.
0:08:14 > 0:08:20So, for our final product, we're transforming a simple pork sausage
0:08:20 > 0:08:24into one from a rural idyll of Cottage Lane Farm.
0:08:24 > 0:08:25And where is that, you might ask?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Well, it doesn't exist. We've made it up.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Just like Marks and Spencer's did with their Lochmuir Salmon.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36It may hint at a classic Scottish lake, but there's no such place
0:08:36 > 0:08:38as Lochmuir.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42And although Oakham, Marks and Spencer's chicken brand, is a real place,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46not all the chicken packaged as such comes from there.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49The same is true of Willow Farm, from Tesco.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Even though it's not real, consumers are unaware of this
0:08:53 > 0:08:57and they will still associate the same type of quality and the same type
0:08:57 > 0:09:00of trustworthiness as the real places.
0:09:00 > 0:09:06And it's perfectly legal. Supermarkets CAN invent a place like this for marketing purposes.
0:09:06 > 0:09:13Tesco says they use British chickens from a number of different farms, one of which is called Willow Farm.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Marks and Spencer's told us that Oakham chickens come from UK farms
0:09:17 > 0:09:21with both the name of the farmer and the county where the bird has been
0:09:21 > 0:09:22reared listed on the pack.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27They add that all Lochmuir fish sold is Scottish and on most products
0:09:27 > 0:09:30they also list the name of the loch where it is sourced.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34I would be very surprised that Lochmuir's not a real place, what have they put it on there for?
0:09:34 > 0:09:39If the chicken is not from Oakham, why do you use this name?
0:09:39 > 0:09:45So, we've now seen some of the techniques we're exposed to every time we go shopping.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48What we really want to know is how effective they are.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52So we're going to put our specially designed products through their
0:09:52 > 0:09:55paces with a group of volunteer shoppers - will the psychology work
0:09:55 > 0:09:58on them? Find out later.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07Now, chemicals are all around us. And it's a difficult area to control and regulate.
0:10:07 > 0:10:14From cosmetics to sofas, it seems you never quite know where the next allergic reaction could come from.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18At least, that's what we've discovered on Watchdog. Here's Lynn Faulds Wood.
0:10:21 > 0:10:27'Welcome to Watchdog. In tonight's programme, all these people have written to us.'
0:10:27 > 0:10:33'With the new Lemon Fresh Fairy, you've got all the sense of Fairy, all the scent of lemon.'
0:10:33 > 0:10:39Fairy liquid - over the years the ads told us it was mild and green.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43But as Watchdog discovered in 1996,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48the later, lemon versions could cause severe allergic reactions.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51It's like a burning feeling, at times. When I put my hand
0:10:51 > 0:10:54in cold water, it cools it down, but when I put my hand in hot water,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57it really burns again.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Lemon Fairy had an acidity about it which was great for dishes,
0:11:01 > 0:11:06but according to some viewers, it could be painful for hands.
0:11:06 > 0:11:12After that first report, Watchdog heard from many more of you.
0:11:12 > 0:11:19In fact, over 200 people got in touch about old and new versions of Lemon Fairy.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21After Watchdog took sufferers to try to meet him,
0:11:21 > 0:11:26the dermatologist advising Fairy's parent company, Procter and Gamble,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30finally admitted that hundreds more could be affected.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35I would reckon about 6% of our population are sensitive
0:11:35 > 0:11:43to the kind of damage that fat extraction by a detergent can do to their skin.
0:11:43 > 0:11:51The tests we have done seem to show that it is less damaging to hands than other people's products.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56As a result of Watchdog's campaign, Fairy and other manufacturers put
0:11:56 > 0:12:00warning labels for people with sensitive skin on the back of their products.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05Fairy say their formula has been scientifically proven to be safe,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08so no change was made to the formulation, although over time,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11improvements have been made.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16But nine years later, Watchdog was encountering worse problems with hair dyes.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20The pictures you've sent us are not a pretty sight.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24This is Keely Not, before she dyed her hair.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28This is the horror picture afterwards.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30This is Lara Danson before dying her hair.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Here's what happened.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38They were all reacting to a chemical called PPD.
0:12:38 > 0:12:45PD is a toxic chemical found in black rubber, photocopy ink and petrol.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It's also found in most modern hair dyes,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51at the hairdressers and in home kits.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57Yes, a toxic chemical that companies weren't making a big effort to warn people about.
0:12:57 > 0:13:03Following Watchdog's reports, manufacturers did agree to put bigger warnings on packs.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07But why do these problems keep happening?
0:13:07 > 0:13:12The prime culprits are the preservatives,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16the fragrance chemicals and the hair dyes.
0:13:16 > 0:13:22All powerful chemicals, that for some products, manufacturers say they can't do without.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26The trick is to keep exposure to problematic substances as low as
0:13:26 > 0:13:31possible, so that they are effective
0:13:31 > 0:13:33in whatever role they have,
0:13:33 > 0:13:39but, at the same time, minimising the risk to the consumer.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45But there are some chemicals that cause reactions that CAN be removed.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49And it would take Watchdog to make that happen, too.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54In 2013, over 150 viewers contacted Watchdog
0:13:54 > 0:13:58to complain about reactions they'd suffered after using Piz Buin.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03Sophie Holmes used the cream for the first time on her face while skiing.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08It got worse and worse and started to swell on my face and neck.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11So I went straight to A&E in London.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16They prescribed me with steroids, to reduce the swelling, because there
0:14:16 > 0:14:21was a worry it was restricting my airways and could become fatal.
0:14:21 > 0:14:27She was allergic to a chemical known as Methylisothiazolinone, otherwise known as MI.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31It turned out dermatologists were seeing far more people
0:14:31 > 0:14:35with allergies to MI than would ordinarily be acceptable.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Allergy to it is now at epidemic proportions in the United Kingdom,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43such that, at the present time, about 10% of patients
0:14:43 > 0:14:48we investigate are now allergic to Methylisothiazolinone.
0:14:48 > 0:14:54After Watchdog investigated, the owners of Piz Buin, Johnson and Johnson, announced MI would be
0:14:54 > 0:14:56removed from the formula.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Other brands followed suit.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Now, you might be careful about what you put on your skin,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05especially after seeing stories like that,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10yet one of our more shocking cases of chemicals causing reactions
0:15:10 > 0:15:13came from a completely-unexpected source.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21In 2008, the programme investigated complaints about sofas
0:15:21 > 0:15:23giving people severe rashes.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26The sofas were bought at three high street stores,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28but made by a Chinese company.
0:15:30 > 0:15:36I came out in an awful, awful rash, with huge blisters,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39and it was very painful and sore.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44It felt like... 50% of my body was burnt.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Tracey was in and out of hospital for six months,
0:15:48 > 0:15:54going through surgical biopsies, morphine and low-level chemotherapy.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57When she got home, she'd just collapse on the sofa,
0:15:57 > 0:15:58exhausted by the pain.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03Tracey finally worked out she was actually reacting
0:16:03 > 0:16:05to something in her sofa.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Her problem cleared up when she got rid of it.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13As Watchdog revealed, the cause was a small sachet of fungicide,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15put in to protect the fabric.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It should never have been in the sofa in the first place.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24This might amaze you... There are currently controls
0:16:24 > 0:16:28on some 30,000 ingredients and even more that are banned.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32So whether it's in sofas or sun creams, we may not know
0:16:32 > 0:16:35where the next potentially-harmful chemical will appear.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38What we do know is, thanks to the regulators,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42the products we use today are much safer.
0:16:46 > 0:16:52Now, kettles - you can spend as little as £5 or as much as £195.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56They all boil hot water, so why IS there such a price range?
0:16:56 > 0:16:57Is it all in the look
0:16:57 > 0:17:02or do some justify a higher price tag for performance?
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Well, a man who has tested all kinds of kettles on the market
0:17:05 > 0:17:07is Richard Headland, from Which?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Now, nice cup of tea here, made with a £5 kettle.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15If we'd spent £195 on our kettle, would it have made much difference?
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Chances are, Sophie,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20it wouldn't have made much difference to the end result.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24We've still got a cup of tea, but what you may want to consider is how
0:17:24 > 0:17:28quickly your kettle is going to boil. The slowest kettles in our test
0:17:28 > 0:17:31take around two minutes slower to boil a litre of water
0:17:31 > 0:17:33than the fastest ones. So, a big difference.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35There's also a big difference in noise.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38That's a big bug-bear people have.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41If you spend more money on your kettle, will that mean
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- your kettle will last longer? - Not necessarily.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47You find some cheaper brands that last for ages.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49You find some expensive brands that don't last so long.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Ultimately, a kettle is going to give up on you at some point -
0:17:52 > 0:17:54the element's going to fail.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57I wouldn't spend more if you're looking for durability.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59If you want to save money on energy bills,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02you should think about how much you are filling your kettle,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04- because it does make a difference? - That's probably the thing
0:18:04 > 0:18:06that will make the biggest difference to your energy bills.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09So, if you are boiling, say, a litre of water, which is about
0:18:09 > 0:18:12enough for four cups of tea, doing that five times a day,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15over a year, that's going to cost you more than £31.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18If you were just boiling enough for one cup of tea,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21that would cost you around £10 over the year, so quite a big difference.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24One thing to remember is, very often,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26you're paying a higher price simply for the look -
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- for the style, for the elegance, perhaps?- Absolutely.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32There's no reason why you can't spend £10 or less
0:18:32 > 0:18:36for an own-brand kettle. Indeed, in our tests,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39there are loads of best buys for, sort of, £20 upwards,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- so well worth considering. - Richard, thank you.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Earlier, we saw some of the methods manufacturers use
0:18:50 > 0:18:52to try to influence what we buy.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56So we've designed our own packaging and set up our own supermarket,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59to see if those marketing tricks really work.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Now, all we need are some customers.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Yes, Sophie, and here they are -
0:19:06 > 0:19:09eight randomly-selected supermarket shoppers -
0:19:09 > 0:19:12to whom we've given a simple shopping list of items to buy.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Our shop is stocked up with two choices for each
0:19:15 > 0:19:16of the shopping items on the list,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20including the three products that have had our shopping psychology
0:19:20 > 0:19:23treatment - the biscuits with the see-through versus closed packets,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27our elaborately-described versus simple lasagne
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and our standard versus Cottage Lane Farm sausages.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Will our volunteers be influenced by our sneaky packaging?
0:19:34 > 0:19:37First up, our biscuits.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40I'm a big fan of actually being able to see what I'm going to buy
0:19:40 > 0:19:42and these, they look nice.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44I like it when I see it, cos then I get what I expect.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48I'm going to go for these ones. It's just like a try before you buy -
0:19:48 > 0:19:50if you see it, you're more likely to buy it.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53An impressive seven out of eight plumped for the product
0:19:53 > 0:19:57that had the biscuits on display. So, no surprise there.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00When our volunteers see these packages,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02when they see the see-through packaging in particular,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06they are likely to have a chemical reaction.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08The chemical dopamine is likely to be released,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12which kind of triggers this sort of reward and pleasure system,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14which we will feel when we actually eat the product,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16so they're simulating eating
0:20:16 > 0:20:19when they're actually seeing that particular product.
0:20:19 > 0:20:20What about our ready meal?
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Which is the most likely to make the dining table?
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Remember, one of these isn't just beef lasagne,
0:20:26 > 0:20:31it's a luxury beef lasagne with a rich ragu and creamy bechamel sauce.
0:20:31 > 0:20:37So, that sounds very, very good. It's luxury.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38Mm.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42OK, they look pretty similar but I do like the lingo on that.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47This time, five out of eight went for our more descriptive version.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Now, I was, of course, expecting this to happen,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53but it really never ceases to surprise me how small changes
0:20:53 > 0:20:58to the packaging, such as words, can have such a big effect on consumers.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04And finally, our mythical farm sausage also came out on top,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07with six out of eight opting for the Cottage Lane version.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Cottage Lane, I will choose the Cottage Lane.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14It's, basically, showing me where my product has been sourced from
0:21:14 > 0:21:17and it's got a picture of the farm here.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22The pigs are going there on the farm and not in a factory.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I'm assuming that if the pigs came from this lovely place
0:21:25 > 0:21:27then they probably taste nice, too.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32So it's clear, we're all open to the influence of the supermarket
0:21:32 > 0:21:37tricks, whether we realise it or not. Even Gorkan, it seems.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41What never really ceases to surprise me is the fact that
0:21:41 > 0:21:44I know all this stuff and yet I'm still influenced by it.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47'I simply cannot control it myself.'
0:21:47 > 0:21:50It's very difficult to do anything about them.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Back now to dishwashers and earlier we heard how household
0:21:57 > 0:22:01appliances were responsible for thousands of fires last year.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Well, here at the Building Research Establishment
0:22:03 > 0:22:07teams of specialists are working hard to find out what causes
0:22:07 > 0:22:09such fires and how to prevent them.
0:22:10 > 0:22:16This is their fire testing facility, the largest of its kind in Europe.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19They work alongside Fire Investigations UK to provide
0:22:19 > 0:22:22vital information once a fire has happened.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25It can be crucial evidence that can save lives.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Our remit is to identify the origin of the fire,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33where a fire started and what caused the fire.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36'When we do a full-scale reconstruction it's to replicate
0:22:36 > 0:22:39'how that fire developed in the real circumstances'
0:22:39 > 0:22:42and that's what we're going to try and show you here today.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45They need to rig this dishwasher with a simple fault,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47something that could occur on any machine.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51'When appliances are moved around a lot,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54'perhaps if they've moved from one property to another and
0:22:54 > 0:22:58'they haven't been handled carefully, you could get a loose connection.'
0:22:58 > 0:23:02If you don't have a tight connection on some of these high energy
0:23:02 > 0:23:07electrical conductors, it will create resistance at that point
0:23:07 > 0:23:11and it will start to glow, like a small electric heater.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15'If there's plastic around it then it can ignite the plastic
0:23:15 > 0:23:17'or any other combustible material.'
0:23:17 > 0:23:22When they do catch fire then there's normally quite a serious consequence.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25The kitchen is constructed ready for the fire
0:23:25 > 0:23:29and Peter replicates the loose connection fault on our dishwasher.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Everything is set for the reconstruction.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Let the fire commence.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Five, four, three, two, one.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Ignition.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44So here we're simulating a fault within the dishwasher,
0:23:44 > 0:23:49for instance a bad connection, which would result in resistance heating.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51The electrical connection heats up
0:23:51 > 0:23:54and ignites the plastic within the appliance.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58A pilot flame is created and the dishwasher is now on fire.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00We're a minute in and there's enough smoke
0:24:00 > 0:24:01to activate the smoke detector.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04SMOKE DETECTOR BLEEPS
0:24:07 > 0:24:10We can now see the fire has actually taken hold of the appliance
0:24:10 > 0:24:15and it will start to spread to the timber cabinets next door to it.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22As the fire develops, the plastic drips onto the floor.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27If this were a real fire in a real kitchen the wooden or lino floor
0:24:27 > 0:24:29would also go up in flames.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36The flames are now starting to reach up into the smoke layer.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39You can see the cabinets either side of the dishwasher are starting to
0:24:39 > 0:24:44ignite and we're now getting a more rapidly developing fire.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49In less than 25 minutes, the temperature on the ceiling
0:24:49 > 0:24:52reaches 300C.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56The burning cupboards and the worktop are adding fuel to the fire.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58MUSIC
0:25:04 > 0:25:07And this is when a room starts to develop to flashover,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11when the fire in a room becomes a room on fire.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13And everything in the room will ignite.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17One minute later, almost everything in the room is on fire.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20In a real house, with added furnishings, the fire would
0:25:20 > 0:25:23reach this intensity even faster.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27'And we can see flames developing along the ceiling
0:25:27 > 0:25:31'and the radiated heat is quite intolerable.'
0:25:34 > 0:25:36OK, thanks for your help.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37OK.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42The fire is extinguished before it becomes uncontrollable.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55'So here we can see the aftermath of what is a relatively small
0:25:55 > 0:25:57'and contained fire in a kitchen
0:25:57 > 0:26:00'and we can see the devastation that this has caused, and the smoke
0:26:00 > 0:26:05'damage would be 100% throughout the property by this stage.'
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Fire reconstructions like this are key to understanding how
0:26:09 > 0:26:13fires develop, but Fire Investigations UK also attend
0:26:13 > 0:26:18the aftermath of real fires, to determine the cause and origin.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21So a second fire investigator, John Galvin, is going to take
0:26:21 > 0:26:25a look at our burnt-out kitchen, to show us just how it's done.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Now, in this particular room, we can see that the most damaged area
0:26:30 > 0:26:34is the far side and we can see on that particular wall,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38we have flame impingement and that is an indicator for us that that
0:26:38 > 0:26:42area was severely affected by the fire whilst it was in progress.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46John is particularly interested in the appliances on the left-hand
0:26:46 > 0:26:47side of the kitchen.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51'I can see from here, a kettle, a toaster
0:26:51 > 0:26:54'and there appears to be some measuring scales at the end.'
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Could they actually be part of the cause of this fire?
0:26:57 > 0:27:01If this had been a real fire, every appliance in the room would be
0:27:01 > 0:27:05examined to determine whether it had been switched on at the time.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08If not, it would be eliminated as a potential cause,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11but John has already found another clue.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14The table has scorching on the side facing what
0:27:14 > 0:27:15we believe to be the area of origin.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Additionally we have some shadowing on one of the chairs under the table,
0:27:19 > 0:27:25- which shows an area protected by the table leg.- Getting warmer, John.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29So all the data we've gathered so far are pointing us
0:27:29 > 0:27:30towards this appliance.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32So, if I just pop the door open.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39What I can see now is that the internal surfaces of this
0:27:39 > 0:27:43particular appliance are very heavily coated with smoke deposits.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47There's also none of the plastic internal components remaining,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50so we can say that this particular appliance has suffered
0:27:50 > 0:27:52greatly during this fire.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57John quickly suspects that the dishwasher did start the fire.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Next, it would go to the lab, to confirm if he was right.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04'Fire investigation gets to the bottom of why fires occur'
0:28:04 > 0:28:08and by feeding that information back to the manufacturers we try
0:28:08 > 0:28:12'and prevent such things happening again in the future.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15'If things happen time and time again and we identify a pattern,'
0:28:15 > 0:28:18we may be able to persuade the manufacturer to actually do
0:28:18 > 0:28:21a recall or certainly alert members of the public to the
0:28:21 > 0:28:25potential of a problem with a particular device.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32If you want more information on the safety of products
0:28:32 > 0:28:35in your home, you can go to our website.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43That's all for today. Thanks for watching.