5 Safety Reminders for Burn Awareness Week | DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog

Burn Awareness Week takes place at the beginning of February every year. Burn injuries most commonly affect small children in the home. Accidents regularly occur from scalding liquids, hot stoves, and steam.

Scalding liquids cause the highest rate of injuries in children under the age of 4. Physicians treat more than 100,000 minors annually for injuries associated with scalds. These accidents range from minor burns with minimal or no scarring to devastating and life altering disfiguration and pain.

Prevent burns in the home with these 5 tips:

1.  Move flammable items to a safe area. Lighters, candles, and other fuel sources may tempt little ones to explore the world of fire. Keep these items in a safe location, and monitor their use carefully to prevent accidents.
2.  Set ground rules for children. Running, playing, or otherwise being in the kitchen while stoves are on and food is hot sets a dangerous stage for burn accidents. Consider making the kitchen an adults-only area when cooking, and closely watch any children who enter the area. Use the back burners if children will be in the area to reduce the risk of an accident.
3.  Adjust your water heater. Set your heater’s temperature to no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent children from turning on a scalding tap. Water will stay warm without raising the concern for scald injuries. Always monitor small children using a bathtub or sink tap.
4.  Never wear loose clothing while cooking. Wearing frills, fringes, and flowing blouses increases the likelihood of experiencing a burn or larger fire. Watch the stove area for any other wayward packages or flammable items that might get hot enough to catch fire, too.
5.  Run cold water over a burn immediately. Ice and cold tap water reduce the temperature of the burn and lessen the extent of damage if caught in time. Contact emergency services for major burn injuries.

Reach out to our Washington DC personal injury attorneys for an evaluation of your potential burn case.