Millions of dangerous electrical devices lurking in homes Santosh Benjamin-Muthiah died after a faulty fridge freezer caught fire He was trying to rescue his children when he died of smoke inhalation Electrical Safety First has launched a new website listing recalled goods Many consumers are unaware of the hidden dangers in their homes Santosh Benjamin-Muthiah died of severe smoke inhalation after he tried to rescue his two children from a fire caused by a faulty fridge freezer Millions of dangerous electrical products are sitting in homes across the country despite being recalled for repairs by manufacturers. The problem reflects the fact that the recall system for appliances, everything from fridge freezers and tumble dryers to chargers, is hopelessly inadequate. Manufacturers face accusations they are slow to recall products that are known to have a fault, while there is no effective system to alert the owners of dangerous products. Generally, the companies will put a warning on their own website, which is difficult to find, or they might advertise in a newspaper on a few occasions. A recent inquest in London heard how Santosh Benjamin-Muthiah, 36, died after suffering severe smoke inhalation when he rescued his two children from a fire caused by a faulty Beko fridge freezer. The Turkish manufacturer had been warned about problems with the appliance but decided not to recall it until after the tragedy in the autumn of November 2010. Subsequently, the coroner recommended far stronger penalties for companies who fail to recall suspect products, including a possible prison sentence. The problem has been highlighted by Electrical Safety First, a charity which runs its own website listing recalled household appliances. It said some four million products have been officially recalled over the last four years, yet the majority of these are still sitting in homes creating the risk of a fire or electric shock. It said some 228 different electrical products have been recalled- including seven types of fridge, four washing machines and seven hairdryers - yet typically only 10-20per cent are ever returned or repaired. The campaign to raise awareness is being supported by Martin Squires who had a fire at his home near Leeds, which was caused by a fault in his Hotpoint dishwasher. "It was lucky that I happened to walk into the kitchen as the dishwasher caught fire so I could put it out quickly," he said. But my young son was asleep upstairs and I would otherwise have been in bed at that time too. It doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened. The product was later recalled as a whole batch. It is important for everyone to know that if they are told their item has been recalled it is going to be for a very good reason, and even if the fault is not immediately life-threatening it is not worth the risk keeping it in your home. Faulty electrical goods are placing the lives of millions of people at risk according to a new charity A spokesman for the charity, Emma Apter, said: "Whilst the chances of a faulty product causing serious damage are small, the risk is still there and returning a faulty product, or ordering its repair, is very easy to do. We're working with manufacturers to improve the recall system but in the meantime we urge everyone to do anything they can to look after themselves, whether that's registering a product when you buy it or keeping an eye out for recall notices. We'd also encourage everyone to use our free online checker, to see if you have any recalled items in your home today.