Lawyers urge 'sofa rash' action


Lawyers urge 'sofa rash' action
BBC News
26 June 2008

Lawyers for about 1,400 people who say they have been burned by
fungicide in some leather sofas have said trading standards
authorities are failing them.

The lawyers say tens of thousands of people might be affected and they
say the authorities should make retailers take the sofas back.

The sofas, imported from China, are said to cause blisters and
rashes.

Lancashire Trading Standards said it had received no "objective
information" about what was causing the problem.

Christian Shotton, of solicitors Russell, Jones and Walker, said:
"Trading standards haven't taken an approach and assisted or forced
these retailers - as they can do - to remove the sofas from these
people's houses and stop people from getting hurt."

But Jim Potts, of Lancashire Trading Standards, said: "When we pressed
them [scientists] for some factual evidence of what they feel is
causing this, none would provide us with any objective information."

Product recall

Doctors say they have treated hundreds of patients with "sofa rash"
and some are warning that warm weather is likely to increase the
problem in the coming months.

Dr Sandra Winhoven, a consultant dermatologist, said: "The substance
that's causing the sofa dermatitis outbreak is a fungicide, and this
fungicide has a very low vapour point.

"So when it gets warm, more of it gets released."

We're concerned that the product recalls which have been undertaken
do not identify all the furniture which may have been affected
Julia Appleton, solicitor

Argos, which has sold about 30,000 of the sofas, carried out an
investigation and identified what it believes is the anti-mould
chemical - a substance known as DMF.

The company has removed the sofas from sale and given refunds to
anyone who bought them.

Retailers Land of Leather and Walmsley's say they have refunded people
who have complained, but have not ordered a full product recall.

Tracey Hayes developed a rash across her legs, bottom and back last
year. She told BBC Breakfast she spent four weeks in hospital as a
result.

"Initially, I thought it was from an insect bite. I didn't connect it
to the sofa until I read a newspaper article about it," Ms Hayes
said.

Another solicitor, Julia Appleton, told the BBC: "One of the concerns
is that we don't know how far this problem has spread.

"We're concerned that the product recalls which have been undertaken
do not identify all the furniture which may have been affected.

"We don't know enough yet about the manufacturing process, the storage
of the furniture and the chemical DMF to know whether or not this
problem is very, very much more widespread."

Earlier reports suggested the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was
investigating whether DMF was illegal and should be banned.

But the HSE says it has not launched an investigation.

A spokesman told BBC News anyone concerned about their sofa should
contact their local trading standards office or Consumer Direct on
08454 040506 or in Northern Ireland 0845 6006262.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7474621.stm

Published: 2008/06/26 12:49:00 GMT

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