Alcohol-based hand sanitisers should be used carefully, says doctor after man sustains severe burns

A man was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here on Sunday with 35 per cent burn injuries after he accidentally spilled hand sanitiser on his clothes which caught fire due to close proximity with cooking gas.

Dr Mahesh Mangal, Chairman of Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery in the hospital said that alcohol-based hand sanitisers should be used very carefully.

"A 44-year-old man from Rewari was admitted yesterday with 35 per cent burn injuries. He got injured after fire broke out when he spilled hand sanitiser on his clothes that caught fire due to close proximity with cooking gas. He's now stable," said Dr Mangal.

Speaking about the cause of the fire, he said, "As high ethyl alcohol content -- up to 62 per cent --in hand sanitizers makes it highly flammable, one should not use sanitizers near fire or a heating place. It should be used in sufficient quantity and allowed to dry."

Reportedly, the man was cleaning his keys, mobile phone etc with hand sanitiser in his kitchen while his wife was cooking food. He accidentally spilled some sanitiser on his clothes and its fumes reached the cooking stove resulting in his clothes catching fire.

He suffered burn injuries all over his face, neck, chest, abdomen and hands.