Fire and Rescue NSW threaten to call in Coroner over Samsung’s recall of potential faulty washing machines

SAMSUNG is being threatened with a coronial inquiry into its handling of the recall of tens of thousands of potential fireball washing machines.

Threat over Samsung washing machines

EXCLUSIVE

SAMSUNG is being threatened with a coronial inquiry into its handling of the recall of tens of thousands of potential fireball washing machines.

News Corp Australia can reveal NSW fire authorities are considering using their powers under the Fire Brigades Act to ask the State Coroner to probe the recall.

NSW consumer safety authorities are in charge of a national recall of 144,000 Samsung washing machines. It is where the problem was first identified and where the greatest number of machines have caught fire.

“Fire & Rescue NSW is concerned about the number of fires and is considering whether it will refer a request to the State Coroner to hold an inquiry into fires involving Samsung washing machines,” Assistant Commissioner Mark Whybro told News Corp Australia. “A referral has not as yet been made.

“Our fire investigators are currently reviewing Samsung-related incidents for those which may be suitable for investigation by the Coroner.”

Samsung washing machines have caused 49 fires in NSW since the recall began in 2013, Mr Whybro said.

One was in a childcare centre at Coogee in Sydney.

Liz Herbert's Samsung washing machine after it caught fire. Picture: Supplied

The Samsung washing machine which sparked a house fire in Parmelia, Perth. Picture: Supplied

There have been at least 37 in other states — 25 of them in Queensland. That was as of September last year, at which time there had been 38 fires in NSW.

Up to date numbers outside NSW are not known because Samsung won’t say and consumer-safety authorities don’t have the information.

Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said: it “would welcome any process that brings more scrutiny into the fires caused by faulty Samsung washing machines.

“We get the very real sense that this company cares more about managing its reputation than it does about protecting consumers from its dodgy products.”

Machines supposedly made safe by a repair with plastic bag and tape are among those to have burst into flames.

Three years since first admitting there was a problem, Samsung is still to examine nearly 40,000 known to pose a fire risk.

More recently, models outside the six recalled have also melted and spun to pieces.

One of the fires that could be referred to the Coroner was in New Lambton, Newcastle, NSW, in August last year. It destroyed the home of Joel and Angela Hudson.

In November, Fire & Rescue NSW said a Samsung washing machine caused the fire. Yesterday it said “the cause of that fire remains undetermined”.

Mr Hudson is in the process of demolishing his house after a payout from his insurer.

“We are going to be out of pocket $70,000 by the time we rebuild,” he said.

Joel and Angela Hudson with children Lilli, 4, and Grace, 3, and Isabelle Devetak in the burnt out ruins of their house after a repaired Samsung washing machine caught fire. Picture: Peter Lorimer

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission referred inquiries to NSW Fair Trading because it “is the lead agency managing the Samsung recall washing machine recall”, a spokesman said.

NSW Fair Trading said it did not know how many fires and other incidents there had been nationally. It was expecting to learn the information in a Samsung media release on Wednesday.

Samsung refused to answer questions.

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