When routine goes wrong: How a simple oversight nearly resulted in total loss

The scenario

At the end of another busy day at The Flying Fish, the team began their usual closing routine, preparing for the next day. Part of that process included washing and drying the kitchen linen; something that was carried out daily without incident. But on this occasion, what seemed like a simple chore almost sparked a devastating fire.

When the tumble dryer finished its cycle, including a cool down cycle, the dryer was switched off at the plug, and the premises was locked up for the night; however, the washed linen hadn’t been removed from the tumble dryer. Shortly after, the heat contained within the linen combusted, causing a fire which was fortunately contained to a back room.

The pub owner reported the incident to the insurer, which then appointed a loss adjuster and a forensic specialist who determined that the cause of the fire was self-combustion, not an electrical fault.
 

The challenge

The Tumble Dryer Condition clause states that all items must be removed from the dryer, separated and allowed to cool down for a minimum of 60 minutes. Failure to follow this condition led to the fire, giving the insurer clear grounds to refuse the claim.

The outcome

When there is a clear breach of a Condition, any financial assistance is extremely rare. However, following a thorough review, strategic negotiations, and Howden’s strong relationship with the insurer, the client was able to secure support and some financial assistance.

Fortunately, the fire on this occasion was contained to the back room where the tumble dryer was situated, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the venue. Had it not been contained, this incident could have easily resulted in a total loss, with no support from the insurer.