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Preventing
Burns
Topics:
In
the kitchen
Child safety
There
are seven common causes of burns
A
matter of degrees
First aid for burns
In
the kitchen
-
Unattended
cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. Stay
nearby at all times when cooking, even with microwave
ovens.
-
Keep
children and pets away from cooking food. Enforce a
"kid-free zone" of 3 feet (1 meter) around
your stove when cooking.
-
Wear
clothes with tight-fitting sleeves, or roll your sleeves
up to reduce the risk of your clothing catching fire.
-
Turn
pot handles inward. Never leave them sticking out where
they could be bumped or grabbed by a small child.
-
Don't
leave spoons or other utensils in pots while cooking.
-
Turn
burners and ovens off when they're not in use.
-
Keep
plenty of sturdy oven mitts or pot holders near your
cooking area. Using a wet pot holder can result in a
severe steam burn.
-
Do
not toss wet foods into deep-fat fryers or frying pans
containing hot grease or oil. The violent reaction
between the fat
and water will splatter hot oil.
-
Remove
the lids from pots of cooking liquids carefully to
prevent steam burns. Remember, steam is hotter than
boiling water.
-
If
a pan of food catches fire, carefully slide a lid over
the pan and turn off the burner. It is dangerous to
attempt to carry the pan to the sink.
-
In
microwave ovens, use only containers designed for
microwave use. Let microwave-cooked foods or liquids
cool before carefully removing their covers.
-
If
you turn microwave foods during their cooking cycle,
remember that the oven may be cool but the containers
and food are very hot.
-
Hot
water
· Adjust your water-heater's thermostat to no more than
120 F (49 C) to prevent scalds.
· Always turn on the cold water faucet first, then add
hot.
Child
safety
-
Keep
matches and lighters out of children's reach - up high,
preferably in a locked cabinet. Use only child-resistant
lighters.
-
Do
not allow children to play near woodstove or fireplace
fires or around working space heaters.
-
Cover
unused wall outlets with safety caps and replace all
damaged, frayed, or brittle electrical cords.
-
Do
not leave hot irons unattended.
-
Do
not leave barbecue grills unattended, and supervise
children's cookout activities, such as toasting
marshmallows.
-
Teach
your children that steam radiators, stove burners,
irons, and other familiar household objects are
sometimes hot and can burn them.
-
Test
bath water by carefully circulating hand and lower arm
through it before putting children in the bathtub.
Provide constant supervision while bathing children.
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There
are seven common causes of burns
-
Flame
burns,
caused
by direct contact the with fire.
-
Radiation
burns,
caused by close exposure to fire or high heat.
-
Scalds,
caused by hot liquids or steam.
-
Contact
burns,
the result of touching hot objects.
-
Chemical
burns,
caused
by contact with corrosive chemicals, such as battery acid.
-
Electrical
burns,
caused by contact with live electrical wires.
-
Ultraviolet burns,
caused
by over exposure to the sun or to sun lamps.
A
matter of degrees
Burns
are classified by the amount of damage done to the skin and
other body tissue. Every family member should be able to
identify the severity of burns and know how to treat them.
First-degree
burns
are minor and heal quickly.
Symptoms: reddened skin; tender and sore.
Second-degree
burns
are serious injuries and require immediate first aid and
professional medical treatment. Symptoms:
blistered skin; very painful.
Third-degree
burns
are severe injuries and require immediate professional
medical treatment. Symptoms:
white, brown, or charred tissue, often surrounded by
blistered areas; little or no pain at first.
The
severity of injury caused by burning clothing can be reduced
by following these three simple steps.
Stop:
Don't run.
Drop:
Drop
immediately to the floor.
Roll:
Cover
your face with your hands and roll over and over to smother the flames.
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First
aid for burns
Cool
the burn: For
first- and second-degree burns, cool the burned area -
preferably with cool running water for 10 to 15 minutes.
This lowers the skin temperature, which stops the burning
process, numbs the pain, and prevents or reduces swelling.
Third-degree burns require immediate medical attention.
Remove
burned clothing:
Lay the victim flat on his or her back. Burned clothing may
be stuck to the victim's skin. Unless material is on fire or smoldering, do not attempt to remove it. Remove jewelry or
tight-fitting clothing from around burned areas before
swelling begins and, if possible, elevate the injured areas.
Cover
the burn: After
a first- or second-degree burn has been cooled, apply a
clean, dry dressing to the burned area.
Don't
apply butter or any other grease
(including medicated ointments) on a burn. Grease holds in
heat, which could make the injury worse. It will also embed germs and debris
into the wound. If this happens, the burn must be scrubbed clean.
Don't
break blisters:
This could allow germs to enter the wound.
Treat
for shock: To
reduce the risk of shock, keep the victim's body temperature
normal. Cover unburned areas with a dry blanket.
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