BURNS

Preventing and treating burns

Every year, thousands of children are admitted to hospital with severe burn injuries. Most burns occur in and around the home. A child can be burned in an instant. One mistake, one careless moment, may lead to a life-changing injury that will affect them even in adulthood.

  • A burn can happen in a second, but its effects last a lifetime.
  • In South Africa, 256 children suffer burns every day.
  • Most burns occur in and around the home.
  • A child’s skin is thinner than an adult’s. This makes them more susceptible to harsher burns that have long-term impacts.
  • Burn victims face prolonged and painful treatment. In many cases, burn victims are physically disabled and scarred for life.
  • Careless adults put children in danger. Everyone should be aware, take care and know how to prevent burn accidents.
  • Scalds and hot liquid burns happen more often than any other burns.
  • Always place hot liquids and food in the centre of the table.
  • Never pass hot liquids and food over a child’s head.
  • Never hold a child while cooking at the stove.
  • Place kettles and cords at the back of counters and tables.
  • Turn pot handles towards the back of the stove.
  • Always open microwave containers slowly. Test the food temperature before feeding children.
  • Always put cold water in the bath before adding hot water.
  • Always test the water temperature with your elbow before putting a child in the bath.
  • Never leave small children unattended in the bathroom.
  • Teach older children the difference between hot and cold taps.
  • Dangling tablecloths may lead to exciting discoveries or a disastrous surprise for a curious child. Use table mats instead.
  • Teach children to stand well away from the stove – hot fat or oil can cause severe burns.
  • Put babies a safe distance away when preparing hot meals.
  • Never extinguish a fat or oil fire with water. Don’t panic. Quickly switch off the stove and cover the pan with a lid, plate or wet cloth.
  • Never use a broken or leaking paraffin or gas stove.
  • Never use flammable solvents for dry cleaning. Keep all flammable liquids away from flames. No smoking.
  • Set the thermostat on your water cylinder to a lower, safe level.
  • Toddlers are easily attracted by colourful teabags and pull the string. Use tagless ones instead.
  • Teach your child to stop, drop and roll if their clothes catch alight.
  • Always supervise children near open fires, candles, paraffin lamps and portable stoves.
  • Always store matches and lighters safely out of reach of children.
  • Keep anything that can catch fire, such as clothing, tablecloths and curtains away from open flames.
  • Immediately extinguish wood and coal fires with water when you don’t need them.
  • Immediately extinguish paraffin, oil or petrol fires with sand or a fire extinguisher.
  • Keep matches, candles and lighters out of reach. Children are naturally inquisitive and playing with matches can lead to tragic results.
  • Never leave a child alone in a room with an open fire, burning candle or lamp. Children are drawn to glowing flames, and candles and fires may spark a fire.
  • Smokers, be careful. Never smoke in bed. Bedding can catch alight and start a fire which can claim the lives of your most precious possessions — your children.
  • Never pour flammable liquids onto the fire especially when children are about. They like to imitate adults, which can lead to disastrous results.
  • Keep spray cans away from any source of heat. Explosions can cause serious burns. Never throw empty cans into a fire.
  • Barbecue fires should be put out with water. Hot sand burns. Badly burnt feet are no holiday treat.
  • Don’t let children play around any fire places.
  • Never leave children alone in a car, disused or new. A slight ignition could set the car ablaze in seconds. Never keep matches in the glove box.
  • Teach children not to play with fire or matches. Make sure they understand that matches are not toys and fires can burn. Teach them to stay away from anything that can burn: heaters, fires, barbecues, lighted candles and irons.
  • Don’t carry a lighted gas heater around. Never move or fill a paraffin heater or stove when alight. Fires start more quickly than you think.
  • Do not hang clothes over a heater to dry. They may begin to burn when you are not around. Never dry clothes too close to open fires.
  • Never go to sleep with a burning heater, candle, lamp or fire.
  • Keep portable stoves out of reach of children, and away from curtains.
  • Never pull out the tank of a paraffin fridge while the flame is burning. To extinguish, blow only from the top of the funnel.
  • People prone to epileptic seizures should keep away from open fires as the flickering flames might precipitate a seizure. It is easy to fall into the fire.
  • Teach older children how and when to use matches properly. Explain the uses and dangers. Simply forbidding them from playing with matches may tempt them to experiment.
  • Don’t overload power points or run electrical wires under carpets.
  • Cover unused outlets with safety plugs.
  • Keep electrical cords, power plugs and electrical equipment away from children.
  • Teach children to stay away from electrical sub-stations.
  • Never allow children to play with power points or electrical equipment. Repair faulty plugs and frayed cords immediately.
  • If clothing catches alight: Drop and roll on the floor
  • Escape from thick smoke: Crawl on the floor.
  • Minor burns: Run the affected area under cold water until the pain disappears.
  • Deep white burns: Do not apply any agents to burnt areas. Cover with a dry, clean sheet and seek medical attention immediately.
  • Chemical skin burns: Wash under fast flowing water.
  • Always protect children from sunburn using sunscreen, hats and umbrellas.
  • Always store chemicals away from children.
  • Keep children safe from fireworks.
  • Protect small children, and supervise children of all ages around fires.
  • Teach children about fire hazards and how they can avoid being burned, especially from foreseeable dangers.
  • Set a good, safe example. Children learn from adults’ behaviour.
  • Remember, the sun can burn too. Hats and sunscreen creams are helpful, but exposure to the sun should be limited.
  • Clothes burn and so do children. Loose fitting sleepwear near the stove, fireplace or heater presents a fire risk. Pyjamas are safer than nighties. Choose your children’s clothing carefully. Natural and heavy fabrics will ignite and burn more slowly than lightweight, sheer or synthetic fabrics.
  • Switch off the power supply before you touch the child.
  • Move the child to safety using protection like rubber gloves or a wooden plank which don’t conduct electricity. Do not use metal objects as you may electrocute yourself.
  • If the child is not breathing and has no pulse apply CPR.
  • Cover the burn area with a clean, non-stick dressing.
  • Take the child to the clinic or hospital immediately.