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The Consumer Affairs Agency has issued a warning to consumers to be careful when using topical coolant skin sprays after a number of cases in which people sustained serious burns after the spray ignited.
According to the agency, since April 2009, more than 100 cases in which spray cans exploded and burned individuals have been reported.
The agency posted a video in which a mannequin wearing a shirt was sprayed. Next, someone holding a small match walked near the mannequin and suddenly the flame jumped from the source, onto the sleeve of the shirt, and then in an instant, the entire figure was engulfed in flames. The video was intended to show how dangerous using the spray can quickly become, and that consumers should take precautions accordingly.
In one incident on July 20 in Osaka, a man applied some spray while inside his car in Toyonaka, TBS reported. Shortly after, when he went to light a cigarette, the flame from his lighter suddenly ignited the volatile chemical. Police said the man was severely burned.
Another video was also posted by the agency, showing what can happen to cans of coolant spray left on the dashboard of a car. The rays from the sun beating down relentlessly onto the cans caused them to heat up to excessive temperatures and eventually explode.
© Japan Today
6 Comments
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SauloJpn
Wow. Scary stuff.
Crush Them
I am sure that pouring gasoline on yourself would cool you down quick given its evaporation point. But, would you do that to cool down? Or not, just because of the odor?
Sounds like these sprays should have massive "combustible" stickers on them. And if not, they should be sued out of business.
A.N. Other
The propellant used in practically any aerosol is highly flammable - the same could happen if someone applied deodorant, for example.
The reason these people got burnt is down to pure idiocy - they either used or left the spray near a source of heat/ignition.
Fadamor
The injuries were sustained AFTER the product had been applied. I imagine this is some alcohol-based product suspended in a light gel to prevent rapid evaporation (similar to most sanitizing hand gels). While the product is on the skin and the alcohol is still evaporating, it is STILL highly flammable.
Disillusioned
I guess these mullets were too hot to read the warning labels. You never use any aerosols can in an enclosed space and you never use one near an open flame - unless you are burning out a wasp's nest, of course. Sorry, but the falt is on the user, not the manufacturer.
A.N. Other
Yes, because the tool had first filled his car up with flammable gas before he lit the cigarette. The same thing would happen with an aerosol deodorant. Lesson #1: don't use aerosols in a confined space and then introduce a source of heat.