Weed killer flame gun proven fatal after man suffers leathal burns
Posted: August 26, 2015
Posted in: Faulty Work Equipment Personal Injury Wrongful & Accidental Death
A flame gun, typically used to kill garden weeds as a replacement to chemical killers, has killed a man after exploding into flames. 86-year-old Francis Dunlop was a keen gardener and had been using the device in his back garden in Bourne, Lincolnshire when the accident happened in June. An alert has been sent out throughout the EU warning anyone who has this product not to use it due to “serious risk” or burns or fire.
Mr Dunlop’s device burst into flames during use, causing him to suffer fatal burns. Despite his neighbour extinguishing the fire with a garden hose, his injuries were too severe. An inquest into his death has been opened.
“we must advise customers to stop using the Kill Weed”
In the Kill Weed instruction manual, it says that the device works by heating the weeds up to 1,300 degrees centigrade. It is sold in Coopers of Stortford in Hertfordshire, which say that all customers are welcome to return their models completely free of charge.
It is believed the incident happened because of the gas canister not being fitted properly. This then led to a gas leakage, which caused the product to ignite. The manufacturers stated: “We have discovered a serious safety issue with the Kill Weed product which could lead to the risk of fire during use. As customer safety is of paramount importance, we must advise customers to stop using the Kill Weed with immediate effect.”
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