Skip to main content
Home
  • Home
  • About us
    Back
    About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
        Back
        Have your say
        • Community conversations
        • Complaints
        • Compliments
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Covid-19 response
      • Fire Authority
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
  • Newsroom
    Back
    Newsroom
    Pete Bond
    Staff story
    24 Mar 2023

    Assistant Chief Fire Officer Pete Bond looks back on over 25 years in the fire and rescue service

    Ed stood outside 10 Downing Street
    News
    17 Mar 2023

    Ed receives Queen's Commendation for Bravery

    • Incidents
    • News
    • Events
    • Social media
  • Safety advice
    Back
    Safety advice
      • Safety at home
        Back
        Safety at home
        • How to stay safe
        • Smoke alarms
        • Home safety visits
        • Risks in your home
        • Advice for carers
        • Advice for parents
      • Business safety
        Back
        Business safety
        • Risk assessments
        • High rise buildings
        • Guidance for businesses
        • Landlords and holiday lets
        • Inspections and enforcement
      • Safety outdoors
      • Safety on the road
  • Careers
    Back
    Careers
      • Vacancies
      • Become an on-call firefighter
        Back
        Become an on-call firefighter
        • Application process (on-call)
        • On-call firefighter pay
        • On-call vacancies
        • How on-call firefighters benefit businesses
      • Become a wholetime firefighter
        Back
        Become a wholetime firefighter
        • Application process (wholetime)
      • The role of a firefighter
      • The role of a fire control operator
        Back
        The role of a fire control operator
        • Become a fire control operator
      • Support staff roles
      • Looking after our people
        Back
        Looking after our people
        • Embracing equal opportunities
        • Supporting women in the Service
      • Pay rates
      • Benefits
      • Request a careers talk
  • Education and young people
    Back
    Education and young people
      • Early years, reception and year one
      • Primary schools
        Back
        Primary schools
        • Fire and road safety resources
        • Great Fire of London
        • Primary school fire safety visits
      • Secondary schools
      • Fire starting behaviour in children
      • Young drivers
      • Join the fire cadets
      • Work experience
      • Fire station visits by youth groups
Search

People often search for...

When should I test my smoke alarm?
Home safety visits
Thatch fire safety
Report a problem with a fire hydrant
How safe is my heater?
Chimney fires

Contact

  • Contact us
Accessibility Tool
  • Zoom in
  • Zoom out
  • Reset
  • Contrast
  • Accessibility help

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. What safety advice are you looking for?
  3. Emollients
FacebookTwitterEmailWhatsappMessenger Share

Emollients

Emollients are extremely flammable. If you or someone you know uses them, extra care must be taken when near heat sources to prevent injury or even death. Follow our safety advice to stay safe when using emollients. 

More than 50 people have died or been seriously injured over the last 10 years after their emollients dried on fabric and caught fire.

A person squeezes an emollient gel out of a yellow tube onto their hands.

Emollients as a fire hazard

Some emollients can leave a flammable residue when they are absorbed into fabrics like bed sheets and clothing. Washing may reduce the build-up, but even freshly laundered materials can still be a  fire risk when near sources of heat.

Other materials can also become contaminated by those which have emollient residue on them. We strongly advise that these are washed separately so that any other clothing or fabric does not become contaminated.

Top safety tips for using emollients

If you or someone else you know uses emollients, please follow and share this advice.

  • Wash emollient contaminated clothing and bedsheets separately from everything else.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Keep yourself, little ones and vulnerable adults away from open fires or heaters, or candles.
  • Avoid cooking whilst wearing contaminated clothing as being too close to a hob or grill will increase the risk.

If you’re a healthcare professional, please make others aware of the fire risks, particularly if they are a smoker. We can offer a free home fire safety visit to help anyone make themselves safer from the risk of fire.

 

Uses for emollients

Emollients are used to treat dry skin, sunburn and skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

They can come in many different forms: from creams to sprays, ointments and gels. They can be prescribed by doctors and pharmacists, but they can also be bought over the counter and in supermarkets too.

Stop drop and roll

If your clothing catches fire, use the ‘Stop, drop and roll’ method.

Remote video URL

Book a home safety visit

If you’re worried about yourself or someone else, you could be entitled to a free home safety visit.

Book a home safety visit
Home safety visit with a vulnerable adult

What to do if there's a fire

  1. Get out of the building, closing any doors behind you.
  2. Stay out of the building.
  3. Call 999 and ask for the fire service.

Smoking, vaping and e-cigarettes

Find out more

Smoke alarms

Find out more

Fire safety in the kitchen

Find out more

Footer menu

  • Home
  • About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Covid-19 response
      • Fire Authority
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
    • Newsroom
      • Incidents
      • News
      • Events
      • Social media
    • Safety advice
        • Safety at home
        • Business safety
        • Safety outdoors
        • Safety on the road
    • Careers
        • Vacancies
        • Become an on-call firefighter
        • Become a wholetime firefighter
        • The role of a firefighter
        • The role of a fire control operator
        • Support staff roles
        • Looking after our people
        • Pay rates
        • Benefits
        • Request a careers talk
    • Education and young people
        • Early years, reception and year one
        • Primary schools
        • Secondary schools
        • Fire starting behaviour in children
        • Young drivers
        • Join the fire cadets
        • Work experience
        • Fire station visits by youth groups

Translate the website

Footer contact

  • Contact us

Staff login

Always call 999 in an emergency

Did you find this page useful

  • Yes
  • No

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Follow us
  • Print this page

Footer bottom

  • Our website
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies
  • Privacy notices
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Accessibility

Disability Confident employer logoEmployers Network for Equality and Inclusion logoBritish Quality Foundation logoEmployers network for equality and inclusion logoFire pride and allies logo