WA child rushed to hospital after consuming hand sanitiser

A child has been rushed to a Perth hospital after consuming an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, prompting an urgent warning.

An urgent safety warning has been issued by Western Australia’s consumer protection agency after a child was hospitalised from swallowing hand sanitiser.

The child ingested between 30 to 60 millilitres of the alcohol-based sanitiser and was rushed to a Perth hospital with acute intoxication.

The child has since made a full recovery.

WA’s commissioner for consumer protection Lanie Chopping said parents and carers of children should be extra vigilant as children often mistook the bottles of sanitiser for food or drink.

She said most alcohol-based sanitisers contained upwards of 60 per cent alcohol content and just a few mouthfuls could poison a child.

“Hand sanitiser should always be kept out of reach of children and should only be used by children under adult supervision,” Ms Chopping said.

“As a highly flammable product, it should also be kept away from any type of open flame.

“Consumers who use their own bottles at in-store hand sanitiser refill stations should clearly mark their bottles to avoid confusion with any other household or food items.”

Ms Chopping said they were working with the consumer watchdog to ensure hand sanitiser was not sold in packaging resembling food or drink.

“The action includes educating sellers about new requirements for packaging and labelling and product safety officers will be ensuring that they comply,” she said.

TIPS FOR SAFE USE OF HAND SANITISER

• If you have children at home, look for hand sanitiser that has child-resistant packaging or other closures that make it difficult for children to access the product independently.
• Keep hand sanitiser out of reach of children at all times. Children should only apply hand sanitiser under adult supervision.
• Hand sanitiser is for external use only.
• If ingested, you should seek medical attention immediately.
• Keep hand sanitiser away from any type of open flame as its ingredients are highly flammable.
• Stop using hand sanitiser if it causes skin irritation.