When you come to light a candle, a gas hob, or your barbecue, you probably don't give a second thought as to who made the lighter and whether it is safe or not.
But a recent survey by an independent safety laboratory based in Manchester (Bureau Veritas) has discovered that of the 100 million lighters that are sold in the UK high street every year, eight in every ten does not meet minimum safety standards set out by the EU (ISO9994).
In 2006, the European Union passed emergency laws to stop the sale of non-child resistant lighters, but they are not enforced effectively in member states, including the UK. When the USA was faced with a similar problem, their strong enforcement of child safety standards meant a 60 per cent reduction in child injuries.
As a former fire-fighter, I feel passionately that these figures should be a wake-up call to the Government. We need to set a clear direction to ensure that unsafe, non-conforming lighter models do not come into the UK and if they do, they are seized by Trading Standards
Given the prevalence of these models, many of which are imported from China, it is perhaps not surprising that a study commissioned by the European Federation of Lighter Manufacturers shows that one in ten (13%) people in the UK have either had an accident with a lighter or know someone who has. If you extended that to the UK population as a whole that could mean up to 400,000 extra hospital or doctor visits each year, a considerable cost to the NHS.
I was shocked to hear about the case of Elaine Young, from Prudhoe, who had a lighter explode in her face and set fire to her skirt. Her story is particularly harrowing. "My son ran inside to get a bucket of cold water and threw it over me. If it was not for him I would not be alive. I suffered third degree burns and needed skin grafts. I still cannot have a hot bath as it feels like the skin is burning, I can't dress by myself, and I can't wear skirts anymore."
Children are particularly vulnerable. The UK Government has yet to properly enforce the EU decision on mandatory child resistance for disposable lighters, which is designed to stem the continued spread and availability of potentially dangerous lighters in the UK market.
Sian Falder, a consultant plastic surgeon based at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, said that lighter-related injuries were common sights in burns units. "When you see children with these kinds of injuries it is absolutely heart-breaking. This is a very real problem. We will continue to see these kinds of accidents as long as unsafe lighter models are available widely across the country."
Jim Fitzpatrick MP is secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Fire Safety and Rescue Group and a former fire-fighter.