London, 7 May 2025 – BSI has reformed the national committee tasked with reviewing and updating the hot water bottle standard, with the goal of supporting public safety and equipping manufacturers with the right knowledge and understanding.
This comes in response to growing concerns over burns linked to hot water bottles, and follows calls from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) and the Children’s Burns Trust (CBT) for an updated specification.
In 2024, burn units in England and Wales treated 968 cases, up from 501 in 2020, according to data from the International Burn Injury Database[1]. The last iteration of the relevant standard Hot water bottles manufactured from rubber and PVC (BS 1970:2012) was published in 2012.
Once the committee review the standard and agree the reinstatement of BS 1970:2012, the committee will then indicate if there are changes to be made, which will lead to a revision of the standard. Additional revisions are expected to focus on the recommended lifespan of hot water bottles, with a two-year manufacturers’ warranty.
Anne Hayes, Director of Sectors and Standards Development, BSI said: "The safety and well-being of consumers is our top priority, and as an organization, we are committed to playing our role in ensuring that all products meet the highest standards of quality and safety. The reformation of this national committee is an important first step in addressing the rise in injuries related to hot water bottles. By reviewing and updating the existing guidelines, we aim to provide clearer, more effective standards that will help reduce risk and ensure greater product safety for consumers."
Adrian Simpson, Head of Policy and Membership, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said: “The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is glad to see BSI taking these important steps to tackle the rise in burn injuries from hot water bottles. Reforming the national committee to update the hot water bottle standards will provide vital guidelines to keep people safe. Our recent report, Safer Lives: Stronger Nation, revealed that the majority of accidents in the UK happen at home. This underlines the importance of ensuring the products people buy are safe to use for themselves and their families.”
The national committee that oversaw the 2012 standard was disbanded in March 2024 as part of BSI’s standard review process, because there was no chair in place. As per protocol, the standard was withdrawn BSI procedure requires all standards to be systematically reviewed every five years by a committee. This development means updated guidance can be created.
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[1] https://www.ibidb.org/
