Tool Hire Horrors
Broken blades, damaged wires and kitchen foil used as a fuse: an investigation into hired DIY tools found half of them unsafe.
Editor’s note. This report dates from around 2010. Hire companies must supply equipment that is safe to use; if a hired tool is faulty, your rights are set out in your rights when a job goes wrong.
Photo: Andy / Andrew Fogg via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Half of all hire tools failed basic safety tests in an investigation that hired a selection of DIY equipment from major and independent hire companies. The problems ranged from broken blades and damaged wires to kitchen foil used as a fuse, all of which could lead to injury.
The investigation led big-name hire firms to remove tools from their shelves, and only one company provided equipment with no safety faults at all.
What the testers found
- A wallpaper stripper had a split in the hose, which could leak hot steam and scald the user.
- An extension lead cable had lost all but its basic insulation, exposing users to an increased risk of electric shock.
- Some shops offered no safety equipment at the point of hire.
Most companies agreed to remove the tools on test from their shelves to investigate further, and the products of greatest concern were reported to trading standards officers.
Before you hire
Check the tool over at the counter before you take it away: look at cables, plugs, hoses and blades, and ask for any safety equipment the job needs. If anything looks damaged, refuse it and ask for a replacement.
