Hand Sanitiser - Property Protection Considerations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased demand for hand sanitisers throughout the world. The pandemic has encouraged and facilitated a change in our behaviours and consumption, including a significant increase in the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers in portable containers. With its high alcohol content, these hand sanitisers are an ignitable liquid.

The increased demand for sanitisers which coincides with the disruption of supply chains caused by the pandemic has resulted in some governments and organisations stockpiling medical supplies, including sanitisers. While bulk storage of sanitisers is often located in large warehouses, they may also be stored in other types of buildings.

Bulk storage introduces the potential for high challenge fires that can spread quickly and compromise a building's fire protection system. Hence, property owners need to be aware of the risks and recommended protection measures when considering the storage of this product in a facility.

For instance, building owners and occupants should give careful consideration to this elevated fire risk and conduct comprehensive risk assessments that address local regulations, property protection and business interruption impacts. Additional considerations include:

• Fire protection systems: Are existing fire protection systems sufficient?
• Separation: Can the storage quantity be reduced?
• Fire partitioning: Is the ignitable liquid stored separately?
• Containment and drainage: Are suitable containment and drainage measures provided?
• Ignition and human element controls: Are appropriate contrils in place to manage storage, ignition sources and potential flammable atmospheres?

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