Telford firm fined £30,000 for fire-risk cushions
A company that supplied cushions to a garden centre has been fined £30,000 after the items were found to represent a serious fire risk.
Rosewood Pet Products Ltd, based at Queensway, Telford, was charged with supplying cushions that failed to meet essential safety requirements.
A court heard tests revealed they could easily catch fire as well as failing to comply with fire safety regulations as they did not display permanent labelling.
Director Mark Bolland appeared on behalf of the company at Beverley Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to both offences.
The court heard how officers from East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s trading standards team had visited Coletta and Tyson garden centre in Woodmansey, Yorkshire, in December 2017 and saw cushions, featuring the faces of dogs and cats, for sale in the homeware and gift section of the store.
The officers inspected the cushions and found they were not labelled correctly and having raised concerns with staff at Coletta and Tyson, the cushions were removed from sale immediately.
The items were sent for independent testing which revealed the filling of the cushions were highly flammable therefore posing a significant safety and fire hazard risk.
The court heard how Rosewood Pet Products Ltd had not included permanent labelling on the cushions to confirm they complied with fire safety regulations as they saw themselves solely as a pet supplies company.
The company claimed the items were not intended for decorative use around the home but for pet use only therefore they claimed the cushions were not required to conform to the same flammability and labelling requirements.
But magistrates heard how the cushions were being marketed as gifts for pets as well as owners on the company’s website and had labels on them stating “pet faces – a pillow for you or your pet”.
Rosewood Pet Products Ltd was fined £15,000 for each offence, must pay prosecution costs of £2,651.23 and a victim surcharge of £70, giving a total of £32,721.32.
A spokesperson for Rosewood Pet Products said: “We would like to apologise to our customers for any confusion caused by the marketing of this cushion.
"It is firmly intended as a pet product and not for home decor and as such, fire safety compliance is not required.
"We intentionally strive to restrict the use of fire retardant materials wherever possible due to increasing concerns surrounding the harm they can potentially cause to animals.
“This product is imported from the United States and is well received by customers both there and in the UK and is wholly safe for its intended use with animals.”
