FOI Request - Emollient products involved in fires responded to by your Fire and Rescue Service

Kent Fire and Rescue Service did not have the information requested.

Dear Fire and Rescue Service (FRS),

I am researching the number of fires relating to emollient products.

Therefore, under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like the following information if held:

1) Since 2015, how many fires were responded to by your FRS in which investigators established or believe that an emollient product was either a primary or contributory factor in the fire? Please break this down year by year.

An emollient is a moisturising treatment applied to the skin, typically used to manage eczema or psoriasis.

Such products include - but are not limited to - Diprobase, Zerobase, Cetraben, and E45 creams.

2) What is the total number of fatalities recorded by your FRS in the incidents referred to in question 1 since 2015? Please break this down year by year.

I note in asking this question that statistics on the number of fatalities in emollient-related fires may not be held by your FRS in each or all of the years since 2015. However, please provide the fullest data you hold.

3) Since 2015, how many controlled fire tests on emollient products, or the interaction of emollient products with other products, has your FRS carried out?

By “controlled fire test”, I mean any exercise in which your FRS undertook to understand the flammability of emollient products or their interaction with other products.

4) For all of the controlled fire tests referred to in 3), please provide a copy of the report that ensued from each of those tests.

I understand some details of those involved in the tests may need to be redacted under S40 of the act.

If there are any questions about my FOI request, please do not hesitate to contact me on my email: [email address].

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Salisbury

Information Officer, Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Dear Mr Salisbury,

Thank you for your request made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We will respond to your request within 20 working days (29/12/2020).

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Please note that while we will always aim to process any FOI requests within the statutory deadline of 20 working days, there may be delays to this due to workload priorities changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic. If this is the case, then we will get in contact with you to advise you of any delay and the associated timescales.

Kind regards

Owain Thompson

Information Officer | Kent Fire & Rescue Service | The Godlands, Straw Mill Hill, Tovil, Maidstone, ME15 6XB | T: 01622 692121 | E: [Kent Fire and Rescue Service request email]

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Information Officer, Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Dear Mr Salisbury,
 
In response to your request made under the Freedom of Information Act
2000, I have answered each of your questions in turn.
 
1) Since 2015, how many fires were responded to by your FRS in which
investigators established or believe that an emollient product was either
a primary or contributory factor in the fire? Please break this down year
by year.
A search of the KFRS incident records looked at all possible areas where
the terms listed below could have been recorded. This included variations
of the spelling and also searched for the term "Cream" to try and capture
any incidents.  This resulted in zero matches for incidents within this
criteria.
 
An emollient is a moisturising treatment applied to the skin, typically
used to manage eczema or psoriasis.
Such products include - but are not limited to - Diprobase, Zerobase,
Cetraben, and E45 creams.
 
2) What is the total number of fatalities recorded by your FRS in the
incidents referred to in question 1 since 2015? Please break this down
year by year.
Zero
 
I note in asking this question that statistics on the number of fatalities
in emollient-related fires may not be held by your FRS in each or all of
the years since 2015. However, please provide the fullest data you hold.
 
3) Since 2015, how many controlled fire tests on emollient products, or
the interaction of emollient products with other products, has your FRS
carried out?
None
 
By “controlled fire test”, I mean any exercise in which your FRS undertook
to understand the flammability of emollient products or their interaction
with other products.
 
4) For all of the controlled fire tests referred to in 3), please provide
a copy of the report that ensued from each of those tests.
N/A
 
 
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request, you may ask
for an internal review. Information about our review process is available
via the following link on our website.
 
[1]http://www.kent.fire-uk.org/contact-us/f...
 
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF
 
Kind regards
 
Owain Thompson
 
 
Information Officer | Kent Fire & Rescue Service | The Godlands, Straw
Mill Hill, Tovil, Maidstone, ME15 6XB | T: 01622 692121 | E:
[2][Kent Fire and Rescue Service request email]
 
 
 

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