Purell Hand Sanitizer Fire Safety Warning
Forwarded safety warning purporting to originate from Chevron cautions that Purell Hand Sanitizer is flammable and can catch fire if treated skin is exposed to an open flame.
Description: Forwarded email
Circulating since: Jan. 2007
Status: False
Email example contributed by Christopher J., Jan. 22, 2007:
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Subject: FW: Hands Burned After Using Hand Sanitizer  Click to Enlarge |
Analysis: Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer, which is sold in the form of a liquid gel consisting mostly of ethyl alcohol, is a highly flammable substance indeed. "Keep away from fire or flame," warns the label on the plastic pump bottle. Could the scenario described above really happen? Possibly, though it seems rather unlikely given how rapidly the alcohol-based gel dries and/or evaporates when it is rubbed into the skin "as directed."
The more poignant question is, did this scenario really happen? And that, too, seems unlikely. When I contacted Chevron Corporation, under whose purported auspices the above employee "Safety Moment" was released, I received a message stating that the company has been "unable to ascertain the origins of the document" and cannot verify its accuracy. "The views or opinions expressed in the document do not necessarily reflect the views of the company," the statement continued. "Hand sanitizers are widely available to Chevron employees at many of our office locations and we encourage use of such products to prevent the spread of germs that can lead to illness."
Turning to the text itself, we find no names or dates mentioned, no geographical location, no sources, no supporting evidence. The photos purportedly show the injuries sustained by the victim of the accident. But where did they come from? How do we know they're authentic?
Update: Snopes.com has determined that the images, though real, do not depict a burn caused by the accidental ignition of hand sanitizer. They originally appeared in a 2003 safety bulletin warning about electrical arc burns. Read more...
Sources and further reading:
Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer
Product information from Pfizer, the manufacturerSafety Moment
Urban Legends Reference Pages, 25 January 2007
Last updated: 01/25/07
