Christopher Carlton Hart · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 20th February 2019, an inquest was opened into the death of Christopher Carlton Hart who died on 11th February 2019 at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport aged 33 years. The investigation concluded with an inquest which I heard on 1st August 2019 and which concluded with a conclusion of Accident.

Mr Hart had been a tenant of Johnnie Johnson housing since around 2016. On 13th January 2019, emergency services were called to reports of a fire at his rented flat in Shawcross Fold, Stockport.

Mr Hart was found collapsed in the flat by firefighters who extracted him from the building and administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. He was taken to Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport where, despite intensive care and treatment, he died. A senior doctor at the hospital confirmed Mr Hart died as a consequence of complications of injuries sustained in the fire.

An investigation undertaken by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service concluded that the likely cause of the fire within Mr Hart’s flat was a discarded cigarette igniting some bedding which had been placed on a sofa at the property.

1) The court heard evidence that toxic fumes from furniture such as sofas which do not conform to relevant fire safety standards can quickly incapacitate someone who breathes them in. It is a matter of concern that Johnnie Johnson Housing imposes no conditions on its tenants as to the conformity of items of furniture with relevant fire safety standards;

2) The court also heard evidence that, had a sprinkler system been installed within the flat, the chances of Mr Hart surviving the fire would have been significant increased. It is a matter of concern that, notwithstanding Mr Hart’s death, Johnnie Johnson Housing is apparently yet to undertake any formal review as to the introduction of sprinklers into all or a proportion of its properties.