Burns Caused by Household Hazards

Burns are a potential hazard in any home and are some of the most common childhood injuries. Follow the precautions listed below to avoid getting burned:

Living rooms, bedrooms and garages

• Cover all electrical outlets with safety plugs.
• Screen fireplaces and radiators.
• Use caution when using a fireplace and keep children 1 metre away when it’s burning.
• Teach children not to touch hot items, or items that could become hot, around your home.
• Teach children danger signs and not to touch cleaning products.

Kitchens

• Supervise children in the kitchen to avoid burn injuries.
• Do not hold or drink hot beverages when sitting or holding a child.
• Do not lean over pots of boiling liquids.
• Use pot holders, gloves and mitts. Never use wet material as a pot holder.
• Use hot pads when placing pots or hot food containers on a table or kitchen counter.
• Be careful when removing food and food containers from the microwave. Lift lids carefully to allow steam to escape.
• Never warm baby bottles in the microwave oven. The liquid may heat unevenly, resulting in pockets of breast milk or formula that can scald your baby's mouth.
• Do not use metal containers, foil, or utensils in a microwave oven.
• Allow liquids time to settle before removing from microwave.

Bathrooms

• Test running and bath water.
• Lower the temperature on your water heater.
• Never leave a young child unsupervised during a bath.
• Keep curling irons out of children’s reach and turn off when not using.

If a burn does occur

Burns can occur by heat, electricity and chemicals. You should quickly cool any burn with cool (not cold) running water.

Burns are categorized as first-, second-, or third-degree, depending on how badly the skin is damaged. (A first degree burn is similar to a mild/moderate sunburn.) You should seek medical help immediately if the burn looks red/blistered (second-degree) or is charred or burned (third-degree.)