September 30, 2025
LMS International Ltd v Styrene Packaging and Insulation Ltd [2005] EWHC 2065 (TCC)
A factory was destroyed by fire after polystyrene blocks, supplied by the defendant, were ignited by a hot wire cutter. The defendant failed to provide adequate fire risk warnings. The court found the supplier liable but reduced damages for the claimant's contributory negligence. Facts The claimant, LMS International Ltd (LMS), operated a factory manufacturing products from expanded polystyrene (EPS). They purchased large blocks of EPS from the defendant, Styrene Packaging and Insulation Ltd (SPIL). LMS used a hot wire cutting machine to shape the EPS blocks, a process that generated significant amounts of flammable dust and fluff. On 11 February
