This week it has been confirmed that alcohol-based hand sanitiser has been the cause of several recent vehicle fires. The NHS have therefore issued a warning to make people aware of the potential dangers if alcohol-based hand gel is left in your vehicle and gets too hot, especially in the heat that we are experiencing at the moment.
So how does this happen?
When the gel heats up it releases flammable vapours, these vapours are reaching their ‘flashpoint’ and then they ignite in normal air conditions, setting fire to flammable components within the vehicle.
What to do ?
If you own alcohol-based hand gel just be mindful of the heat, and ensure that you don’t leave any in your vehicle. It is still hugely important to wash your hands regularly so don’t let this put you off, but you should instead look at purchasing alcohol-free hand sanitiser instead moving forward.
