PFD report

Roy Frederick Lawton · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 9 Dec 2016•Staffordshire South

Report record

Published report and response evidence

This page connects the concerns raised in this report with statements found in recipients’ published responses. A link shows a clear evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
1

Raised in this report

Recipients
1

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 1 recipient

Stated actions
3

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Source document

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised1

  1. Highly inflammable clothing
    Part of recurring concern: Uncontrolled flammability risks from clothing
Responses linked to these concerns

Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

Actions described in response An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.2

  1. Action

    Test adult dressing gowns, including raised-fibre products, using flash-flame testing and refuse to sell products that fail.

    Stated by Marks and Spencer plcStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 12 February 2017.
  2. Action

    Test the relevant dressing gown using the rigorous bedding flammability procedure and record a pass result.

    Stated by Marks and Spencer plcStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 12 February 2017.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.3

  1. Position

    Testing indicated the relevant dressing gown was not highly flammable and passed the applied flammability test.

    Stated by Marks and Spencer plcDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Highly inflammable clothing

Wider context from the report

“Enquiries into this death included a fire investigation report. The Fire Investigator informed me that the dressing gown that Mr Lawton had been wearing was highly inflammable. He told me that this appears to be the case whether clothing is 100% cotton or a mixture of cotton and polyester. A short while has elapsed since the conclusion of the inquest as you have been kindly checking the production details. I now understand these are TO7/5288 manufactured by Quantium in Vietnam. I wonder if anything can be done either in the production, importing or retail of this clothing either to reduce its inflammability or to warn customers as to the danger . ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Uncontrolled flammability risks from clothing.

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Test adult dressing gowns, including raised-fibre products, using flash-flame testing and refuse to sell products that fail.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Currently, the only requirement is to include a label on the gown stating: “Keep away from fire and flames”. M&S goes significantly beyond this legal requirement in its flammability testing of adult dressing gowns, including carrying out a ‘flash flame’ test on its dressing gowns with raised fibres (which carry the greatest risk) and refusing to sell any raised fibre fabrics which fail this test. We also have a strict audit procedure to ensure that dressing gown labels contain the correct customer warning and that raised fibre fabrics pass the ‘flash flame’ test. We are therefore satisfied that M&S goes significantly beyond what is legally required to ensure the safety of its adult dressing gowns.”

Source location

2016-0441-Response-by-MS
Page 2 · response
Published 12 February 2017

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Test the relevant dressing gown using the rigorous bedding flammability procedure and record a pass result.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We were not provided with the remains of the Gown and accordingly provided Intertek with the Relevant Product from our store room. Intertek recommended applying the standard testing procedure used for bedding, which is amongst the most rigorous and stringent. The procedure involves placing a lit cigarette on top of, underneath and in between a fold of material. We followed the recommendation and the Relevant Product was subject to the testing procedure for bedding.”

Source location

2016-0441-Response-by-MS
Page 2 · response
Published 12 February 2017

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Testing indicated the relevant dressing gown was not highly flammable and passed the applied flammability test.

Verbatim wording from the response

“This testing closely resembled the circumstances of the fire in Mr Lawton’s home. I attach a copy of the Flammability Test Report issued by Intertek which sets out the results of the test. The Test Report records that the cigarette burnt for between 17 and 19 minutes (depending on where it was placed on the Relevant Product) and then went out. No flame was produced and the fabric of the Relevant Product did not burn or smoulder after the cigarette had gone out. The dressing gown therefore received a ‘pass’ for flammability.”

Source location

2016-0441-Response-by-MS
Page 2 · response
Published 12 February 2017

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

As a retailer, it lacks authority to undertake an industry-wide legislative review of adult dressing-gown flammability standards.

Verbatim wording from the response

“M&S has a great deal of sympathy for Mr Lawton’s family who will understandably want to ensure that any lessons from Mr Lawton’s death are identified. It is, however, clear from our communications with the Fire Investigator that his concerns lie with the industry wide legal standards for the flammability of adult dressing gowns. You will appreciate that, as a retailer, we do not have the power to carry out this type of legislative review. What we can do is take every reasonable step to ensure that our own customers are safe when wearing the products we sell. For the reasons set out in this letter, M&S is fully satisfied that it does so.”

Source location

2016-0441-Response-by-MS
Page 2 · response
Published 12 February 2017

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Existing testing, customer warnings and audit procedures are considered sufficient to ensure the safety of adult dressing gowns.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Currently, the only requirement is to include a label on the gown stating: “Keep away from fire and flames”. M&S goes significantly beyond this legal requirement in its flammability testing of adult dressing gowns, including carrying out a ‘flash flame’ test on its dressing gowns with raised fibres (which carry the greatest risk) and refusing to sell any raised fibre fabrics which fail this test. We also have a strict audit procedure to ensure that dressing gown labels contain the correct customer warning and that raised fibre fabrics pass the ‘flash flame’ test. We are therefore satisfied that M&S goes significantly beyond what is legally required to ensure the safety of its adult dressing gowns.”

Source location

2016-0441-Response-by-MS
Page 2 · response
Published 12 February 2017

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Other statements in published responses

These actions and other statements could not be clearly connected to one concern in this report.

Recipient-stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.1

  1. 1

    Audit dressing-gown labels to ensure they contain the correct customer fire-safety warning.

    Stated by Marks and Spencer plcStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 12 February 2017.

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Audit dressing-gown labels to ensure they contain the correct customer fire-safety warning.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Currently, the only requirement is to include a label on the gown stating: “Keep away from fire and flames”. M&S goes significantly beyond this legal requirement in its flammability testing of adult dressing gowns, including carrying out a ‘flash flame’ test on its dressing gowns with raised fibres (which carry the greatest risk) and refusing to sell any raised fibre fabrics which fail this test. We also have a strict audit procedure to ensure that dressing gown labels contain the correct customer warning and that raised fibre fabrics pass the ‘flash flame’ test. We are therefore satisfied that M&S goes significantly beyond what is legally required to ensure the safety of its adult dressing gowns.”

Source location

2016-0441-Response-by-MS
Page 2 · response
Published 12 February 2017

Open published response
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026