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National Burn Awareness Day – 21st Oct 2015

National Burn Awareness Day takes place on 21st October 2015. The aim of the day is to raise awareness and reduce the number of burns and scalds each year.

Wirral Fire  fully support Burn Awareness Day’s goal of preventing injuries.

Stop, drop, roll

Always remember – if your clothing catches fire “Stop, drop and roll”.

If your clothes catch fire, running around won’t help.  You must always “Stop, drop (cover you face with your hands) and roll”.

Make sure you roll over a few times, to ensure that you put the fire out.

Safety tips to help avoid burn injuries

Prevention and good first aid are key to reducing the number of burns and scalds, especially in children and the elderly.

DO

  • Install smoke alarms on each floor and test regularly
  • Make and practice Fire Escape Plans with the whole family
  • Run COLD water first in the bath or sink before adding hot water – test the temperature
  • Install thermostatic mixing valves in all hot water outlets
  • Keep saucepans at the back of the stove NOT near the front – turn handles to the back
  • Keep electric kettles, irons, hair straighteners or wires out of reach
  • Keep secure fire guard screens in front of open fires, heaters and radiators
  • Store matches and lighters out of reach
  • Store chemicals, cleaners and acids out of reach

DON’T

  • Don’t drink hot drinks while nursing a baby or child
  • Don’t put a baby or child into a bath or sink until the water has been tested
  • Don’t leave hair straighteners unattended
  • Don’t allow children near BBQs or garden chemicals
  • Don’t allow children near fireworks
  • Don’t leave children unattended in the kitchen or near fires and heaters

Burns and scalds – first aid

Good first aid following a burn or scald can make an enormous difference in recovery times and the severity of scarring. Please use the following link to view first aid advice on the NHS website:

Burns and scalds first aid information on the NHS website (opens in new window)

Burn injury facts

  • Hot drinks are the most common cause of scald injury in children – followed by contact with electric cookers, hair straighteners, irons and central heating radiators.
  • 232 children a month require admission to an NHS Burns Service following injury with hot liquids (this figure only relates to the more serious scalds – it does not include the thousands seen by A&E departments).
  • Sunburn is a notable cause of injury in the 5 – 14 year age group.
  • In the over 65s the pattern of injury is similar to that for children – but with a greater number of central heating radiator contact injuries and too hot bathing immersions.
  • 5,234 children under the age of 5 were so badly burnt that they had to be admitted to a NHS specialist burns service in 2014 – more than 14 toddlers every single day.
  • A significant number of adult injuries resulted from hot fat, barbecues, garden fires and bonfires.
  • The majority of injuries, especially to children and the elderly, occur between 3pm and 6pm.
  • The most common place of injury is the home for children (77%) and the elderly (81%). For adults it’s the workplace.

Statistics are from the International Burn Injury Database (iBID).