Mum from Formby watches as table explodes just feet away from daughter

Formby Bubble
Jul 20, 2015
2 min read

ASDA have launched an investigation into a report that a customer's patio table exploded, showering a child with broken glass. Barbara Jones from Formby claims her Miami glass topped table shattered unexpectedly in the sun, while her seven year old daughter was standing just a couple of feet away. The £125 dining set is made with toughened safety glass, and Asda says it must have already been damaged in some way. A spokesperson for Asda said: “We only use toughened safety glass in our garden furniture and have investigated this rare occurrence. We apologise to the customer and will happily refund or replace this.” However, this isn't the first time a Miami patio set has disintegrated in this way. After posting the image of her shattered table on Facebook, in a bid to warn others, Barbara was flooded with messages from other users claiming the same thing had happened to them. She is now demanding that Asda recall the product. Barbara, 35, said she was enjoying an afternoon in the sun when she heard a crackling noise before the glass suddenly shattered. She said: “If the heat is the cause of them shattering, then that means there could be a fault with hundreds of them, and people will be totally unaware of how dangerous they can be. ”They should be recalling them. “We were lucky that no one was hurt, if my daughter was any closer she could have been seriously injured. ”The glass flew everywhere, I think it was only because my seven year old had her sunhat and sunglasses on that it protected her from being cut. “The glass shattered into tiny pieces, it was difficult to make sure all of it was picked up.” A spokesperson for Asda added: “If safety glass is badly scratched the surface layer can be broken, thus releasing the internal pressure which causes the glass to shatter. In some instances the user may not even be aware of the damage if it is hidden by the frame or is to the underside of the glass. ”Unfortunately due to the nature of the damage and the resultant fracturing of the glass it is not possible for us to ascertain when or where the damage may have occurred to the product.“ Anybody concerned about the safety of a glass table should keep an eye out for tiny scratches or chips that could make it vulnerable to shattering. They should also avoid subjecting the table to sharp changes in temperature, for example by wiping it with cold water on a hot day.