DIGHTON — Chief Christopher Maguy and the Dighton Fire Department would like to provide safety tips to residents as a part of National Burn Awareness Week.
Burn Awareness Week, organized by the American Burn Association (ABA), began this year on Sunday, Feb. 5 and ends on Saturday, Feb. 11. This annual campaign serves as an opportunity for fire officials to share common burn prevention messages with their communities.
This year’s Burn Awareness Week theme is “Hot Liquids Burn Like Fire!” in an effort to remind people of simple but important steps to take to prevent scald injuries.
According to the ABA, approximately every minute in the United States someone suffers a burn injury that needs treatment. Hot liquids are the leading cause of scald injuries and scald burns make up 35% of all burn injuries treated at U.S. burn centers. An estimated 9-30% of cooking-related burn injuries occur to young children while pulling hot food/liquids from microwave ovens.
The Dighton Fire Department wishes to share the following safety tips provided by the National Fire Protection Agency and the ABA:
Cooking
- When taking food out of the oven, always wear oven mitts to prevent scald injury.
- Microwaved foods can be hot enough to cause a burn. Always open lids away from your body.
- Never hold a child while cooking or carrying hot foods to prevent a scald injury.
- Never heat a baby bottle in a microwave oven. Heat baby bottles in warm water from the faucet.
- Allow microwaved food time to cool before eating.
- Place hot liquids and food in the center of a table or toward the back of a counter to prevent spills that could result in scald burns.
- Use a tight-fitting lid with travel mugs to prevent a burn if the cup tips over.
- Choose prepackaged soups whose containers have a wide base or, to avoid the possibility of a spill, pour the soup into a traditional bowl after heating.
Child Safety
- Teach children that hot things can burn. Install anti-scald devices on tub faucets and shower heads.
- When bathing a child, be sure to run your hand through the water to ensure there are no hot spots that could cause injury.
- Establish a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
- Always supervise a child in or near a bathtub.
For more scald injury safety information and tips visit the NFPA website here or the ABA website here.
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