Hotties Safety Information

Hotties range of microwave hot water bottles have now been sold safely and successfully in the UK and Europe for ten years. In that time, no significant injuries have occurred from the use of Hotties, and the company has not had to meet any product liability claims. This marks a considerable achievement, particularly, in the existing commercial and claim culture.

Hotties safety record should also be viewed in the context of considerable beneficial use by the elderly, infirm, and disabled. It is also an achievement of incremental safety in the context of the conventional hot water bottle market. The DTI's latest, (website June 11th 2004), HASS and LASS statistics indicate that 1210 accidents involving hot water bottles required attendance at hospital A and E departments over a twelve month period. Of these,42 were classed as serious and requiring in-patient care. A further 9456 incidents were classified as kettle related. A proportion of which undoubtedly involved the filling of hot water bottles. It is further estimated that up to 30,000 minor scalds are caused each year by hot water bottle usage.

How has Hotties achieved this long term safety record?
From the outset, Hotties were designed with safety as the paramount consideration. We understood that people would inevitably make mistakes in programming their microwaves, and that, instances of overheating would occur. We also realised that the basic physics involved meant that to attempt to design a product that would not fail was dangerous nonsense. Further, we soon came to realise that many of the people who derived greatest benefit from Hotties were the most vulnerable.

Therefore, Hotties were designed to fail safe if over heated, and to fail before dangerous temperatures and pressures could be reached.

Hotties in use
At Hotties we recognise that a very small proportion of consumers, despite comprehensive instructions, will overheat their Hottie, either by not understanding their microwave oven, or by mistake, experimentation, or abuse.

Hotties materials and seals are engineered to fail-safe, without dangerous ballooning or explosive failure. One or other seals will part before dangerous pressures are reached. This will be preceded by a controlled expansion of the Hottie, which acts as a fail safe indicator..

Hotties maintains a Customer Help line to assist consumers with getting the best out of their Hotties. (08702 415907).

Over 1,000,000 Hotties packs have now been sold.