Overview

• Eighty-two-year-old David Hayes died on April 21 after pouring white laundry detergent into his tea instead of milk and developing fatal pneumonitis from chemical aspiration.
• Bolton Coroner’s Court concluded on July 17 that his death was accidental and cited the detergent’s milk-like appearance and lack of child-resistant features as contributory factors.
• Coroner Michael Pemberton formally sent his Prevention of Future Deaths report to DEFRA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Age UK, Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s Society.
• The report calls for clearer product labeling, redesigned packaging to prevent confusion and heightened public awareness of household chemical risks for vulnerable adults.
• Government departments and charities are now reviewing the coroner’s recommendations and considering regulatory changes and awareness campaigns to prevent similar tragedies.