Burn safety: preventing burn injuries and fatalities from burns

Burn prevention tips

Burn Survivors Online, a service of the World Burn Association, offers these commonsense measures for burn prevention:

General measures

• Install smoke detectors in each bedroom corridor, at the top of each stairway and along your normal exit route. Replace the batteries at the same time twice yearly.
• Set your water heater no higher than 120- 25º F. At 130º F. a severe scald burn can occur in just 30 seconds.
• Do not overload power sockets, or use damaged power cords.

In the kitchen

• Keep pot handles turned in and the appliance cords away from the edge of the counter.
• Keep hot liquids and other hot items away from the edge of the table or counter.
• Establish a safe area where a young child can be placed away from risk. Establish a "No Go Zone" in front of the stove, and teach your child to stay away from that area.
• Be careful using microwave ovens. Steam escaping from the container can cause scald burns. Foods can be warm in one spot and scalding in another.
• Never leave hot oil unattended. Oil can ignite if allowed to over heat.

In the bathroom

• When filling a tub, run cold water into the tub first, and then add hot water. Keep your child away from the faucets.
• Never leave young children alone in the bathroom for any reason.

Outside

• Do not use gasoline for any purpose other than to fuel an engine. Use the safest product available for the intended job.
• Always fuel power mowers outside where there is adequate ventilation.

Indoor heater safety

Space heaters are a convenient and effective source of heat, but their potential for burns is high. They can burn by direct contact, but also by igniting clothing or anything else that’s flammable. Using the wrong fuel in a space heater can cause an explosion, and using a space heater for cooking, or heating water is an invitation to burns. For all kinds of indoor heating devices, be sure to keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Here are some basic safety practices for space heaters and wood and coal burning stoves.

• Keep heaters free of dust and lint
• Do not use or store any flammable liquids near the unit
• Provide protection against direct contact with a cage or fire screen
• Provide proper ventilation
• Have an annual maintenance check
• Keep electric heaters away from bathtubs or wet areas

Portable kerosene heaters

• Use a protective cage around the heater, especially if small children will be near it. Don’t touch the heater when it’s in use.
• Never move heater while it’s in use
• Never use the heater to heat water or food
• Use only the fuel recommended for your kerosene. Other fuels such as paint thinner, gasoline or fuel oil can overheat and explode
• At the end of the heating season dispose of any remaining kerosene, and buy a fresh supply at the start of the next heating season.
• K-1 clear kerosene is the only grade you should use. Other grades create more smoke and vapors which can be toxic to animals and humans.
• Always be sure that you have adequate ventilation. Leave a door ajar or a window slightly open. Be especially careful if your house is well insulated. Heaters produce carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases which may be hazardous, especially to high-risk groups such as pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and individuals with cardiovascular diseases or asthma.
• When refueling your heater, turn it off and allow it to cool to room temperature. Fuel splashing on a hot surface can ignite.
• Refill the heater tank outside. Fuel spilled indoors stains furnishings and is flammable.
• Don’t overfill. Stop filling when the gage reads "full" so that kerosene doesn’t overflow.
• Never leave a heater unattended. If you’re leaving or going to sleep, turn it off.
• Don’t use a heater when you’re going to sleep, or when a child or a sitter is in charge.
• Follow safe storage practices for kerosene. Keep in a safety-approved container clearly marked "kerosene."
• Keep fuel away from children.

Coal and Wood Stove Safety

• Use a qualified installer, and be sure the installer provides recommended clearances for stove and ductwork
• Place on a ceramic hearth or other nonflammable base.
• Have your stove, ductwork, and chimney cleaned every year.
• Provide adequate ventilation. Leave a window or door slightly open. Be especially careful if your house is well insulated. Heaters produce carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases which may be hazardous, especially to high-risk groups such as pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and individuals with cardiovascular diseases or asthma.
• Use the correct fuel: only coal in coal-burning stoves, and only seasoned wood in wood-burning stoves.
• Don’t overload the stove with fuel
• Store fuel at a safe distance from stove
• Do not use lighter fluid or other flammable liquids to help start fire
• Place ashes in suitable metal container and take outdoors immediately
• Always use fire screen or keep doors closed
• Keep children away from stove.