Aldi Recalls Product Due to ‘Increased Risk of Fire’

Aldi is recalling a line of cushion covers used for outdoor furniture due to a severe fire safety hazard. According to the United Kingdom’s Office for Product Safety and Standards, there are 8 products included in this recall because the fire-retardant treatment deteriorates over time. This could pose a serious risk as the summer months get underway.

This recall applies to cushion covers for several outdoor furniture items, including sofas, benches, hanging chairs and stools. The product codes and names are listed on the U.K. OPSS website for reference, and two of them specifically say “U.K. only” beside them. It is not clear if any of these products were sold internationally, but the Aldi U.S. website does not list any analogous recall for this year. It appears that these products were not sold in the states and did not need to be recalled.

Aldi reportedly initiated the recall after the supplier notified it that the fire-retardant effectiveness of these products may deteriorate over time. This increases the risk of fire, and puts it over the acceptable risk threshold.

Customers who have these cushion cover products can visit Aldi’s website here to arrange for a replacement. It does not appear that the cushions can be returned to the point of sale and exchanged. The OPSS does not mention disposing of the product — presumably due to the risk that they might be salvaged and used unsafely and unknowingly.

The OPSS functions much like the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Much like the agencies that regulate the testing and recall of food and drugs, these agencies monitor the safety of non-consumable products to ensure that they do not pose anexcessive danger to the average user. In the U.S., the CPSC was formed in the early 1970s and reports directly to the president and Congress.

The latest recalls are always listed on the CPSC’s website. There you can also subscribe to the CPSC for alerts on recalls via email. The agency also has profiles on many social media sites and a dedicated RSS feed.