1. Emollients & Fire Safety Awareness
One workstream is Home Oxygen, National HOS group.
Working with LFB, W.Yorks & ARU on emollient flammability
Aim of presentation to increase awareness of emollients and an E-learning package that can be used by staff to identify fire risks and request visits from ECFRS.
Watch Manager Andre Turner
Technical Fire Safety

2. Why does this concern you ?
Offer question to group Why does this concern you?
(praise responses)
ECFRS looked at all fire fatalities and serious injury for
Total 16 = 14 fatals
50% over 65yrs ageing population and associated health issues – mental health, mobility, general health, sensory loss
Interrogation showed that 6 lived alone – living alone and known to social care and in receipt of care (Click graph)
Importantly – ECFRS had no engagement with them to reduce the risk or influence behaviour change
2/3 fatals in 2018 receiving care, 65+
Risks with elderly - lack of mobility
smoking – cant stop, wont stop - only pleasure
Mental health
sensory loss – eyes/hearing
O2 patient
Treated with emollient to reduce/minimise sores, O2 patients use emollients around nose/mouth as 02 dries out, skin conditions

3. Emollient Content Water content 
Paraffin product – soft white paraffin, soft white paraffin + 50% liquid paraffin 
Emulsifying Wax – petroleum wax with detergent 
Used to keep moisture in skin by forming a barrier – we knew that 
Predominantly lotion, creams and ointment
Paraffin content higher in ointments but lower in lotions, reverse for water content
Contents
Water content – non flammable
Paraffin product – typically soft white paraffin, soft white paraffin + 50% liquid paraffin is by-product of petrol – flammable
Emulsifying wax – aids the mixing of water and paraffin – flammable but not readily ignitable, can be vegetable wax. Treated with detergent to reduce infection
Lotions higher water content – body heat evaporates water leaving paraffin residue
Paraffin residue is the important part we are concerned with

4. Collaboration ARU WYFRS
Working with ARU, LFB and W.Yorks FRS, involving British Assoc of Dermatologists
Study into flammability of emollients
Standard process of holding materials to provide results
¼ teaspoon of emollient applied uniformly with fingerprint roller – Some interesting STATS have been produced that relate to fabrics with contamination / no contamination.
ARU
Non-treated piece of cotton Video (explain flame height and speed)
Cotton after 24hr soaking Video
Blank cotton on LHS, Cotton left for 50 days on RHS Video
(Flame tip 11cm away from 180 thread count pillow) ¼ teaspoon of paraffin based cream applied and allowed to dry 24hrs.
• No contamination just over 60 sec ignition time
• E45 contamination 6 sec ignition time
Preliminary report awaiting publication.
WYFRS
(skip through video due to length)
Test 1 – laundered clean control sample
Test 2 un-laundered found at scene with paraffin based contaminant
Test 3 contaminated over 7 days with 70g cream with 21% paraffin content
Test 4 contaminated 7 days 70g ointment 74.5% paraffin
Test 5 Contaminated 7 days, 70g cream 21% paraffin, washed at 40degress in non-bio liquid
Test 6 contaminated 7 days 70g ointment 74.5% paraffin, washed 40 degrees non-bio liquid
Highlight dangers – speed of flame, height of flame
Looking at washing methods as petroleum ointment melt at approx. 63°C - washing at 40C

5. How can you help? TSA E-learn Benefits
Compliance with Care Certificate
Increase staff awareness of fire risks
Reduced risk to staff
Sense of value by staff
How can you help ?
Simple answer is by ensuring teams are aware of risks
Your teams enter properties daily, carrying out RA when they enter for clients but also self. Companies have a duty of care to ensure staff are safe, so enhance that with this knowledge
How ?
TSA E-learn
Refer to ECFRS
Benefits
Care Certificate standard 13 Health & Safety
13.7 Carers will promote fire safety by
13.7a explaining how to prevent fires from starting or spreading
13.7b Describing what to do in the event of a fire
Staff aware of fire risks and can provide some fire safety advice, also aware of referral process and what a visit contains
Reduced risk to staff as fire risks acted upon and recorded
Staff feel valued and empowered to help occupant reduce risks

8. Available support Checklist
Essex County Fire and Rescue website (under Home Fire Safety)
Checklist available which is a checklist for anyone to use.
Provides tick box to determine
increased fire risk from smoking, air mattress, wiring, candles, cooking etc
Reaction to alarm or fire – mental health, sensory, cognitive
Reduced ability to escape – mobility, vision, capacity, hoarding
Location (if any) of heat/smoke alarms
Location (if any) of CO alarms
Referral methods dependant on who is completing form.
Basic fire safety in home advice.
ECFRS
Offer 2 levels – standard/basic Home safety visit – install alarms, provide advice
enhanced visit – trained technicians, falls prevention, dementia friends, deaf/blind aware, J9 DA, mental health - provide alarms, sensory alarms, CP advice, request falls prevention equipment direct

9. Referral methods
Refer to FRS for person centred visit – online

11. Screenshot of content in TSA e-learn
Developed with LFB
Beginning set the scene with fire fatalities in Essex and how all receiving care. Working together we can reduce these occurrences.
Your staff acknowledge the risk and gain consent to notify ECFRS to contact and visit.
5 case studies whereby all visited by carers with differing fire risks, some had alarms and visits from FRS,
Others did not.