Western Mail

‘Experts not credible’ flat ‘dryer’ blaze inquest told

- Eleanor Barlow PA reporter newsdesk@walesonlin­e.co.uk

The retired safety director of a tumble-dryer manufactur­er has described experts as “not credible” during his evidence at the inquest of two men killed in a flat fire.

Bernard Hender, 19, and Doug McTavish, 39, died following the blaze at their flat in Llanrwst, north Wales, on October 10, 2014.

An inquest at Abergele Town Hall heard the fire may have started in the door switch of a Hotpoint tumbledrye­r. The hearing was told that since 2008 there had been 36 incidents involving tumble-dryers made by Whirlpool, which owns Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit, where a fault with the door switch had not been ruled out.

Fourteen of those were said to have been specifical­ly linked to the switch.

Larry Latack, who retired as director of global safety products for Whirlpool in June last year, said the figures were based on “soft data” made up of allegation­s.

He told the inquest: “External experts are not credible sources to make safety decisions for consumers.

“The most credible person to make a decision on this dryer is the engineer who designed this dryer.

“The experts do not have years of making and designing.”

He said the company would not “panic” about the incidents.

He said: “Some of the theories and things we have heard here would not drive us to take action. We’re not going to get into a panic.”

Mr Latack said the company’s normal processes of safety checks had remained in place after the deaths.

He said: “We’re still looking through the case.

“We’re not at a level where there is substantia­l hazard to the consumer.”

He said the potential problem was not linked to a safety notice, affecting a reported 5.3 million machines, issued by the firm after a fire risk was identified caused by excess fluff coming into contact with the heating element.

But Harry Lambert, representi­ng the families of Mr Hender and Mr McTavish, said the inquest was due to hear from an expert who thought there may be a potential link between the two issues.

Mr Latack, who travelled from Michigan, USA, to attend the inquest, said he believed the fire had been caused by the spontaneou­s combustion of towels in the dryer.

He said: “What is probable in this scenario is that it was spontaneou­s combustion.”

His view went against that of chartered scientist Clifford Christie, who was instructed by Whirlpool to inspect the tumble-dryer.

Mr Christie told the inquest the towels were unlikely to have been the cause as it would have meant the materials were smoulderin­g for at least five hours before the fire broke out.

The inquest had been due to conclude today but assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central David Lewis said he now expected to return his verdict next week.

 ??  ?? Bernard Hender, 19, left, and Doug McTavish, 39, died in the fire in a flat in Llanrwst in October 2014
Bernard Hender, 19, left, and Doug McTavish, 39, died in the fire in a flat in Llanrwst in October 2014
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