HOT AIR: Serene fan heaters and the largest appliance recall in New Zealand history

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Title:	HOT AIR: Serene fan heaters and the largest appliance recall in New Zealand history
Author(s):	SOLLITT, Justin
ISBN:	978-0-473-70799-6
Category:	Business
New / Used:	Used
Book Type:	Medium Softcover
Published:	2024
Published By:	The author
Edition:	1st edition
Pages:	280
Size (mm):	210 w x 295 h x 25 d

Condition

New

About

A must read story of New Zealand national significance, and for anyone in business and who says they have seen and heard it all…. because until you read this story, you haven’t.

The author Justin Sollitt provides the explanation to New Zealanders that is unlikely to be provided by the Energy Safety Regulator Worksafe, as to the bewildering how and why they allowed to happen the current multi-million dollar product recall of SERENE fan heaters.

Compounding this mystery is that Worksafe already have the experience of the infamous GOLDAIR heater recall of 1985, that now pales to negligibility compared with SERENE.

Justin Sollitt was involved with SERENE branded heaters between 2015-2017 via his company Genco Energy Group. Through their Melbourne based subsidiary, Serene Heating Australia P/L, Genco was invited to be the Australian licensee for SERENE heater distribution.

By 2017, Genco Energy's technical division was tasked with completing numerous safety and compliance inspections on all SERENE heating products.

Genco very quickly determined that all but one out of 30 products in the entire SERENE range was found to be electrically unsafe as well as non-compliant or prone to catching fire.

Meanwhile in Melbourne, 'SERENE AUSTRALIA' barely last 18 months after signing up in late 2015 before all the same issues arising caused them to recall what little they had sold and terminate their license and business, as well as consign their entire SERENE stock to the scrap heap.

So serious were the safety concerns uncovered by Genco Energy that over eight years since 2017, Genco filed no less than 52 separate safety warnings to both Worksafe right up to Ministerial level, as well as warning the electrical wholesale industry across New Zealand and Australia.

Universally the Genco Energy findings were dismissed outright, so at Genco's insistence in 2021 Worksafe reluctantly completed their own examination and testing of the same SERENE products that Genco had already tested. However, astonishingly, Worksafe swiftly returned them and certified them all with a clean bill of health.

More bewildering was that Worksafe's dismissal of Genco Energy's findings was in the face of an ever-growing tally of house fire incidents as well as many other electric shock incidents as a result of SERENE products, two of which near ended in fatality.

Meanwhile in New Zealand, for good measure SERENE commenced their own legal proceedings against Sollit for defamation and damages to their brand over “these amusing but baseless claims”.

Then in February 2024 not long after another round of independent product safety and compliance testing completed by Genco Energy, and seven years since their first warnings were filed, Worksafe conceded that all prior Genco safety concerns identified with SERENE over the last seven years, were in fact completely valid.

Without warning Worksafe gazetted a compulsory immediate recall notice for all SERENE heaters sold since June 2018 – effecting nearly 50,000 heater products sold from six years prior - as well as their governing Ministry MBIE decalring SERENE prodycts "so, so dangerous."

Today, the cost forced in an instant by Worksafe onto New Zealand wholesale resellers and homeowners with SERENE appliances is in the range of $15+ million, whilst Worksafe barley even made a comment, despite the enormous media and public pressure to explain their ineptitude and inaction.

The only action was that Worksafe's CEO resigned under the guise of "a career break", and after years of vehemently rejecting all claims against them and pursuing legal action against Sollitt, SERENE swiftly closed up shop and their owners fled overseas without a trace.

To the layman this story clearly illustrates how the numerous unsafe conditions were allowed to continue for years at Pike River Mine that abruptly ended with the explosion that killed 29 miners, and more recently the highly questionable fiasco that was the Whakaari / White Island investigation that was even labelled publicly as corrupt. Both disasters were under the control of the very same Worksafe.

The court of public opinion swiftly deemed this a matter of criminal negligence whilst Worksafe's governing body MBIE launched their own ministerial inquiry into Worksafe/Serene.

Meanwhile many in industry around New Zealand were calling out the irony and hypocrisy of Worksafe's "if you can sense it, you can stop it" national safety campaign, being promoted at the same time they were dismissing all the Genco safety concerns repeatedly filed.

Sadly, and unnecessarily, there are striking similarities that are universal between this SERENE story and infamous other disasters in history which inevitably have ended up TV drama documentaries including; Pike River Mine, Titan / Ocean Gate, and Grenfell Tower fire.

Just as is the case with SERENE, these other disasters all followed precisely the same pattern; - hubris and profit getting in the way of public safety and sound decision making - all had their management and the relevant safety regulator being warned numerous times by experienced industry insiders over many years prior - and all disasters were universally underscored by hopeless technical ineptitude.

From start to finish, everything concerning Serene Industries is a classic tale of 'you couldn't make this up.'

"Energy Safety / Worksafe is satisfied that the following electrical appliances appear satisfactory and that they comply with the appropriate standards: Serene S2068, Serene S2078/207T."
notice to Genco Energy from Paul Kauder, Worksafe Technical Officer. 25 May 2021. 3 years prior to their recall notice on the same products. (refer image)

"As Worksafe has communicated to you before, if you do indeed have evidence of safety non-compliance then please forward to us promptly for our assessmnent and action."
notice to Genco Energy from Mark Wogan, Worksafe Manager. 28 May 2021. 3 years prior to their recall notice. (refer image)

"We are no longer instructed by Serene Industries Limited on this matter."
Response to Justin Sollitt from the Chairman as well as two partners of prominent law firm Bell Gully - their only explanation to the Serene recall outcome post two years of unrelenting defamation litigation by them against Sollitt in response to the 52 safety reports filed.

"Serene and Worksafe picked the wrong guy for a fight with Justin Sollitt, and they both would have quickly wished that they hadn't. Including one of the country's biggest law firms, they all completely underestimated him." BF

“Sollitt was right all along. At the rate these heaters were being sold - without his unrelenting tenacity over eight years, this issue would be far worse, and many New Zealanders would have ended up being killed." DM

"Asleep at the wheel best describes Worksafe. They are an introverted organisation that has lost their way years ago. Hide bound, clumsy, technically inexperienced, poorly led, no focus on outcome or results. They ignore heater fires but at the same time charge helicopter pilots for saving lives." DS

"Serene will completely reshape Worksafe, especially in lieu of the Pike River Mine and White Island disasters". PN

"This is an absolute fiasco these Worksafe criminals have caused.”
NZ wholesale reseller

"In our own business we get a further (and horrifying) look into the Worksafe team and their complete lack of skill and knowledge of electrical standards etc through this same process. Honestly, we we're shocked."
NZ appliance distributor

"I have no longer have anything to do with Serene, now the disgraceful ambivalence from Worksafe."
Appliance Industry PR specialist.

"Worksafe is maintaining their right to legal professional privilege, and your request is declined."
Ombudsman's ruling following a OIA request by Genco Energy to receive a copy of the taxpayer funded independent report into the Worksafe response and handling of the Serene heater recall.

Remarks

This story is currently being updated in lieu of the ongoing developments per media releases.

Please email us to be put on the reprint list. books@unicornbooks.co.nz

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