Flammability of emollient products (FOI)

​Request

We are researchers from Anglia Ruskin University working on the flammability of skin emollient products when soaked into fabric. This work is in collaboration with West Yorkshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, the London Fire Brigade, St Andrews Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns, the National Fire Chiefs Council and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

In light of our work on this matter, we wish to understand how the warnings and advice produced because of our original research are now being implemented across Fire and Rescue Services.

Therefore, please could we request answers to the following based upon the December 2018 MHRA report on emollient flammability:

A

Has this information provided by the MHRA been implemented across your Fire and Rescue Service to advise staff?

B

How has this been implemented? Please also provide details of any future intentions.

C

Has this information provided by the MHRA been implemented across your Fire and Rescue Service to advise the public on how to use emollient skin products safely?

D

How has this been implemented? Please also provide details of any future intentions.

If there is any additional information that I can provide, if required, please do not hesitate to contact.

Response

A

The three Fire Investigators from Jersey Fire and Rescue attended the presentation of the findings at the UK Association of Fire Investigators conference in Leeds in 2019.

B

Any fire involving injury / burns to an individual would be flagged for the attention of a Fire Investigator to investigate. To date there has been no recorded fires as such.

C

A press release was issued on Jersey Fire and Rescue social media (Facebook / Twitter) warning of the dangers of paraffin-based skin products, Attached to the press release was a link to the NHS Safety leaflet relating to these products.

D

Contact was made via email (February 2019) to the Dermatology Department at the Jersey General Hospital to request their position in relation to advising the public of the safety precaution when using the products. We were informed by the Dermatology Department that patients receive safety leaflets when paraffin products are prescribed. We were also advised that Dermatology nurses verbally advise patients of the dangers. They showed an interest in promoting the message via posters within their Department at the General Hospital and GP surgeries.

Jersey Fire and Rescue are currently formulating a new model for ‘Safe and Well visits’ and investigating topics of advice that can be included within the visits. The use of emollients will therefore be included as part of the Health and Wellbeing advice given by firefighters.
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