Burn Awareness Week focuses on preventing burn injuries
The smell of a cake fresh from the oven or a simmering sauce on the stovetop can often be a difficult temptation to resist, but waiting a few extra minutes for your treat to cool down could potentially save you a trip to the doctor for a burn-related injury.
Each year, more than 400,000 people in America seek medical treatment for burn-related injuries—many of which occur at home, in the kitchen or bathroom. Thankfully, the majority of these injuries can be prevented with some basic safety knowledge and simple changes in behavior.
The First Step: Education
At SDG&E, we recognize that education is the first step to preventing burn injuries, which is why we partner with the Burn Institute for the Fire Safe Kids Program—an interactive program that teaches fire safety and burn prevention to K-3 students. Children in the Fire Safe Kids Program are getting an early start on fire safety, but it’s never too late to learn some key tips to keep your home and family fire-safe and burn-free:
- Keep hot liquids and foods away from the edges of tables and counters so they can’t be pulled down and spilled by children or pets.
- ALWAYS keep an eye on children in the kitchen—scalds are the leading cause of burn injuries to children under four.
- Never leave food unattended while cooking on the stove, in the oven or even in the microwave.
- Turn handles for pots and pans toward the back of the stovetop to avoid being knocked off or pulled down.
- Install and maintain smoke detectors in every bedroomand on each level of the home
- Keep an easily accessible fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
If you do sustain a burn or scald injury, immediately treat it with cool water—not ice!—and seek medical attention, if needed.
For more fire safety and burn prevention tips, visit BurnInstitute.org.