AS TEMPERATURES across Gwent soar to 30 degrees Celsius, people are being warned against keeping hand sanitiser in their cars.

During the coronavirus pandemic, many have taken to keeping hand sanitisers in cars as an easy way to clean your hands when out and about.

But now that Gwent is the grip of a heatwave, safety experts are warning of the dangers that can bring.

And it is a warning NHS staff have also heeded after being sent a notice by NHS property services.

Alcohol-based hand sanitisers pose a potential fire risk, say experts at CE Safety, an occupational health and safety training company.

Rising temperatures can cause the alcohol in the sanitisers to evaporate, releasing flammable vapours.

These vapours can reach a flashpoint, at which they then trigger fires after igniting with fires.

In a statement issued earlier today, an NHS property services spokesperson clarified hot hand sanitiser is only a fire risk if it is ignited by a spark.

The statement said: "At the end of May, NHS Property Services (NHSPS) received notifications from safety officers at Unison, who raised media reports from US Fire Authorities that hand sanitisers were catching fire in vehicles.

"At NHSPS we take our duty of care toward our frontline staff very seriously. As such, in response to the notification we received, our health and safety team issued an internal message to highlight the potential risks associated with hand sanitisers in vehicles.

"With the hot summer approaching, there was concern for our facilities management staff who would be transporting this material.

"This decision to raise awareness across colleagues was made in good faith. It is now our understanding that the risks associated with hand sanitisers in vehicles only become apparent when in contact with a spark. We will be issuing a formal alert to our frontline teams to clarify this situation."

Such explosions are unlikely, but there is another reason why you should take your hand sanitiser out of your car.

The alcohol in hand sanitisers can still evaporate when hot and this is the ingredient that makes the sanitiser effective at disinfecting.

So, hand sanitisers could lose their potency and value if left in hot temperatures for too long.

A spokesperson from CE Safety says: “Our advice is to remove alcohol-based hand sanitisers when the British public leave their cars.

“If it is 25°C outside, the estimated vehicle interior air temperature can reach up to 50°C if left for a couple of hours.”

The spokesperson added: “As hand hygiene is one of the most effective methods of tackling coronavirus, we recommend continuing to use hand sanitiser as part of your hygiene routine where soap and water can’t be used.

“But please bear in mind that there may be a fire risk if the alcohol-based hand sanitiser is left in the car.

“One alternative solution might be to use disposable gloves whilst in the car which may remove the need for hand sanitiser.

“Just remember to throw them away immediately after use.”