1
                                  EXHIBIT 23.1

                             Consent of Independent
                          Certified Public Accountants




To the Board of Directors
of Kerr Group, Inc.:


We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement No.
2-92721 on Form S-3, Registration Statement No. 33-3517 on Form S-3,
Registration Statement No. 33-18463 on Form S-8 and Registration Statement No.
33-31347 on Forms S-3 and S-8 of Kerr Group, Inc. (Kerr) of our report dated
March 15, 1996 relating to the consolidated balance sheets of Kerr and
subsidiaries as of December 31, 1995 and 1994 and the related consolidated
statements of earnings (loss), common stockholders' equity and cash flows and
related schedule for each of the years in the three-year period ended December
31, 1995, which report appears in the December 31, 1995 annual report on Form
10-K/A of Kerr.


                                          KPMG Peat Marwick LLP



Los Angeles, California
January 10, 1997