During National Burn Awareness Week, which is February 7-13,the Routt County Office of Emergency Management reminds parents and caregivers that fire is just one cause of burn injuries – children can also be seriously injured by hot foods and beverages, heating appliances, hot pots and pans, electrical currents and chemicals.
“Scalds have been the leading cause of burn injuries every year, especially to children under
five,” said Bob Struble, Routt County Office of Emergency Management Director. “Burn
Awareness Week is an opportunity to remind ourselves of the simple safety measures we
can take to prevent burn injuries,” he said. It is sad to say that burn injuries in the United
States, alone each year force more than 1.1 million people to require medical attention. Up
to 10,000 people die each year in the United States from burn-related infections.
There are two topics for this year’s Burn Awareness Week campaign … Preventing Scald and
Gasoline-Related Burns.
Among all accidental injuries, fire and burns are the number five cause of death in children
ages 14 and under – in part because young children can’t recognize heat-related hazards
quickly enough to react appropriately. Children’s skin burns at lower temperatures and
more deeply than that of older children and adults. A child exposed to 140-degree
Fahrenheit liquid for five seconds will sustain a third-degree burn.
Each year approximately 113,600 children ages 14 and under are treated for fire/burn
injuries, and 518 children die due to unintentional fire- and burn-related injury in the United
States. Scald burns, caused by hot liquids or steam are more common types of burnrelated
injuries among young children, compared to contact burns caused by direct contact
with fire, which is more prevalent among older children.
Hot tap water accounts for nearly 1 in 4 of all scald burns among children and is associated
with more deaths and hospitalizations than any other hot liquid burns. "Kids are also at risk
around hot foods and beverages, space heaters, steam irons and curling irons," said
Struble. "There's a lot you can do around the home to minimize the risk of burn injuries in
everyday life."
Routt County Office of Emergency Management urges caregivers to:
Reduce water temperature. Set your hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Consider putting anti-scald devices (about $40) on each water faucet and shower
head. Check the bathwater with your wrist or elbow before placing your child in it.
Prevent spills. If possible, cook with pots and pans on back burners and turn
handles away from the front. Avoid wearing long sleeves or baggy clothes in the
kitchen. Don't place containers of hot food or liquid near the edge of a counter or
table and remove tablecloths.
Establish a "kid-free zone." Make the stove area a "kid-free zone" (3 feet is a good
distance). Mark it on the floor with bright tape. Never leave your child alone in the
kitchen. Don't hold children while cooking or while carrying hot foods and
beverages.
Test food and drink temperature. Taste cooked foods and heated liquids to make
sure they aren't too hot for children. Never microwave a baby's bottle. Drinks
heated in a microwave may be much hotter than their containers. Instead, heat
bottles with warm water and test them before feeding your child.
Keep electrical cords out of reach – especially extension cords and cords connected
to heating appliances such as coffee pots and deep fryers. Make sure electrical cords
can't be pulled or snagged into a bathtub or sink. Don't leave a hot iron sitting on an
ironing board unattended.
Childproof your home. Cover open electrical outlets so children can't insert metal
objects into outlets, which can cause electrical burns. Lock matches, lighters and
flammable materials out of a child's reach. Keep children away from candles and
other open flames.
Actively supervise. Simply being in the same room with a child isn't necessarily
supervising. Safety precautions are important, but there is no substitute for active
supervision.
Don't let children play with or ignite fireworks. Fireworks are intended for use by
adults in open spaces with plenty of active supervision for every child present.
Struble said, “Because gasoline is so commonly used to fuel our cars, snow blowers and
other outdoor machinery, people often forget that gasoline is a dangerous tool and should
always be handled responsibly.”
The following are safety tips offered by the Routt County Office of Emergency Management:
If you must store gasoline, store it outside the home in approved safety cans away
from open flames (i.e., water heaters and pilot lights) and out of reach of children.
Never regularly carry gasoline in your trunk.
Only fill small engines when they are completely cool; gasoline vapors can ignite
when an engine is turned off but still warm.
Never allow children to handle gasoline, even if under adult supervision.
Have a fire extinguisher on hand. It should be marked “B” for gasoline and other
flammable liquids – and everyone should know how to use it.
Never siphon gasoline by sucking the hose. Gasoline can be fatal if swallowed!
No gasoline should be used as a cleaner, a charcoal starter or a solvent.
It is still important to take precautions against fire, too. “You need a smoke alarm on each
level of your home and in every sleeping area. Make sure each alarm actually works,"
Struble said.
Test your smoke alarms once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year (except
for lithium batteries that last for 10 years according to manufacturer's instructions). A
working smoke alarm reduces the risk of dying in a fire by about 50 percent.
If someone does suffer a burn, the most important thing is to get the fire out. “Teach
children to stop, drop, and roll, if their clothing is on fire, and remind older children and
adults they can still do it even in a tight space by rocking back and forth until the flames are
out,” said Struble. “Cool a burn with cool water; don’t use ice or butter or ointment which
can make the burn worse, and be sure to call 9-1-1 for medical help for all but the most
minor burns,” he added.
For more information about burn prevention, visit:
www.usa.safekids.org/fire
www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Burn_Awareness
www.ameriburn.org/preventionEdRes.php
Help Eliminate Novelty Lighters … view this Public Service Announcement (PSA):
http://www.theideabank.com/psa/NoveltyLightersTV.html
