Burns Awareness & Prevention
Over 300 children are treated in emergency departments for burn-related injuries every day in the United States. Children can experience burns from everyday things in the home, like food, bathwater, and electrical cords. Keep these tips in mind to help prevent burns:
- Keep hot items out of reach. Never leave hot devices, like clothing irons and hair straighteners, unattended while plugged in. When not in use, store these items unplugged and out of reach.
- Take caution with hot food and drinks. Don’t cook, drink, or carry hot beverages or food while holding a child. Use travel mugs or cups with tight-fitting lids for coffee and other hot drinks, even when at home. Turn the handles of pots and pans toward the rear of the stove and use back burners when possible. Never leave the stove unattended when cooking.
- Test bathwater temperature. Test the water with your wrist or elbow to make sure that the water feels warm, not hot, before placing a child in the tub. Set the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 F (48.9 C).
- Set up a child safety fencing around the fireplace. Child safety fencing is designed to keep children a safe distance from the fire and hot fireplace screens, which can reach dangerously high temperatures and can take over an hour to cool down.
- Check electrical cords. Replace frayed, broken or worn electrical cords to help prevent electrical burns.
Take Action
Take action this month to keep your children safer. Set your water heater to 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) to prevent painful and dangerous scalds. Always check the temperature of bathwater to make sure it’s not too hot before placing a child in the water.
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