Skin creams have been linked to dozens of deaths in fires, leading to new warnings by manufacturers. <\/p>\n
Products used to treat conditions like eczema and psoriasis put users at risk because the paraffin in them can soak into their bedding or clothes, making them flammable. <\/p>\n
The medicines regulator has updated its guidance and it says all creams containing paraffin should carry a warning. <\/p>\n
There have been 37 deaths in England since 2010 linked to the creams, despite warnings going back more than ten years. <\/p>\n
Carol Hoes husband Philip died at Doncaster Royal Infirmary in 2006 when sparks from a cigarette ignited his moiturising cream. <\/p>\n
She told Radio 5 Live : Philip sneaked off on to a landing for a sneaky cigarette, a gust of wind must have caught the lighter, and it set fire to him. <\/p>\n
Within seconds Mr Hoe, who was having treatment for psoriasis, was engulfed in flames and he died shortly after. <\/p>\n
He was covered with 90% burns, said Mrs Hoe.There was nothing they could do. <\/p>\n
Christopher Holyoake died in a house fire in September 2015, after his skin cream, now known to be flammable, caught fire. <\/p>\n
The coroner at the inquest into the death of 63-year-old Christopher Holyoake in Leicester in 2015 heard his bedding was covered in residue from an over-the counter dermatological cream called E45, according to the BBC . <\/p>\n
When the flame from his cigarette lighter came into contact with the bedding, the residue acted as an accelerant, giving Mr Holyoake little chance of surviving the fire. <\/p>\n
After the inquest the coroner wrote to the manufacturer of E45 - outlining her concerns there were no warnings on the packaging about the product being highly flammable. <\/p>\n
At his inquest, the coroner drew attention to the dangers. The Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency issued two more warnings, but deaths have gone on. <\/p>\n
John Smith, Chief Executive of PAGB, (Proprietary Association of Great Britain), the UK trade association for manufacturers of branded over-the-counter medicines, said: We want to reassure people that the normal use of emollients in the home is considered appropriately safe provided the products are used in accordance with the on-pack instructions and accompanying patient information leaflet. <\/p>\n
Manufacturers of emollients are not at present required by regulation or statute to include fire safety warnings on packaging. <\/p>\n
\"Safety is nonetheless of paramount importance to the OTC medicines industry. <\/p>\n
\"In the light of this investigation, PAGB is looking to explore this issue further with the member companies and relevant bodies to see if in future, safety warnings should be added to on-pack labelling for all paraffin based emollients as standard practice across the industry, a step which some manufacturers have already taken. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Original post: Skin creams have been linked to dozens of deaths in fires, leading to new warnings by manufacturers. Continue reading
\nWarnings after skin creams used to treat eczema linked to dozens of fire deaths - Mirror.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"