Otago Southland regional coroner David Crerar is calling for comprehensive reviews of lpg cabinet heater safety and clothing flammability.
This follows the death of an elderly Alexandra woman set alight in her home last year.
On April 30, in the Alexandra District Court, Mr Crerar conducted an inquest into the death of 86-year-old Ethel Watt, who died at her home on June 18, 2008, due to shock from extensive burns combined with asphyxia after her clothing and bandages on her legs were set alight by her close proximity to an lpg cabinet heater.
"I observe that there appears to be an inherent lack of safety in these devices. The time has come for the continued use of lpg-powered cabinet gas heaters to be reviewed," Mr Crerar stated in his written decision released this month.
The June 15 decision included Mr Crerar's recommendations to the Ministry of Economic Development's Energy Safety department, as well as the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
He said an urgent and comprehensive review of the safety of lpg cabinet heaters was needed, on the basis that they may be phased out or banned from future use.
Ministry of Economic Development spokeswoman Emelia Mazur said Energy Safety had received Mr Crerar's report, and was in the process of considering his findings and recommendations.
She said Energy Safety would "scope out" what a review process would involve.
"The ministry takes all such recommendations seriously," she said.
Mr Crerar also recommended an urgent and comprehensive investigation be carried out on the flammability of clothing, and nightwear in particular, on the basis that all clothing carry a fire safety rating.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs spokeswoman Kate Camp said Mr Crerar's report had been received and his recommendations were being considered.
During the April inquest, Mr Crerar highlighted how unsafe lpg cabinet heaters were, citing four deaths in the past eight years involving elderly people using the devices.
Yesterday, police started investigating the circumstances of an elderly Dannevirke woman's death after she was found outside her home.
Early indications were that the woman, believed to be in her 90s, was warming the clothes she intended to wear for the day by a gas heater when the dressing gown she was wearing caught alight.
She appeared to have made her way through the house and collapsed on the back step.
Evidence at Mrs Watt's inquest included a video of New Zealand Fire Service fire investigation officer Stuart Ide starting the heater used by Mrs Watt.
The heater was on its lowest setting and failed to ignite, but on the second attempt a big blue flame rolled up.
In Mr Crerar's decision, he ordered a copy of the video to be made available for publicity, training and education purposes.
Mrs Watt had been wearing pyjamas and a loose-fitting dressing gown at the time of her death.
During April's inquest, Mr Crerar read out an article titled "Time to ban unflued lpg heaters?" which had featured in that month's edition of Consumer magazine.
Mr Crerar also cited a report by the Environmental Risk Management Authority on the safety of such heaters, which listed six deaths of people using the heaters.
