Following widespread news coverage claiming that hand sanitiser
kept in vehicles can pose a fire risk, the National Fire Chiefs
Council has refuted these reports and confirmed there have been no
cases of such fires in the UK.
NHS Property Services issued a warning about what it considered
to be the dangers of keeping sanitisers in vehicles to its front
line staff. It has now retracted this advice following further
evidence.
Roy Wilsher, NFCC Chair said: "We want to reassure people that
this product will not combust if left in a car - even on the
hottest day. For hand sanitiser to cause a fire it would need to
come into contact with a spark.
"Hand sanitiser is very important in the fight against the spread
of COVID-19, therefore it is is essential we debunk this myth. We
advise people to ensure they store their hand sanitisers in
vehicles safely, which includes keeping bottles closed and out of
direct sunlight. such as in the glove box. This will ensure the
contents do not deteriorate and means bottles cannot be magnified
by the sun. Sanitiser should also be kept away from naked flame."
The initial reports stemmed from media articles in the USA.
Following this, NHS Property Services issued an internal message
to frontline staff, highlighting what it believed to be a
potential risk.
NHS Property Services stated earlier today: "This decision to
raise awareness across colleagues was made in good faith. It is
now our understanding that the risks associated with hand
sanitisers in vehicles only become apparent when in contact with
a spark. We will be issuing a formal alert to our frontline teams
to clarify this situation.”
