Articles Posted in Burn Injuries

Building sites often use hot tar or asphalt to patch roads, construct roofs, and make roofing waterproof. Hot tar is very hot and applied while hot. On job sites, hot tar and asphalt can be a key hazard, causing burn injuries and other serious injuries. There are many ways that these substances can be dangerous:

1) Skin contact with the hot liquids can cause serious burn injuries. The substances can splash or spill when being applied, causing skin contact.

2) Many sites include ladders as well as hot asphalt and tar. Workers may need to carry containers of hot tar to get up on a roof, for example. If ladders are not adequately secured, workers may easily fall and sustain serious head or spinal cord injuries.

Although Halloween is a time to watch scary movies and listen to ghost stories, these are not the real dangers of this time of year. Although many parents carefully check their children’s candy for tampering, even candy safety does not cause as many injuries as fire during Halloween. For many children and teens, fires and burn injuries are the real personal injuries which are a risk at this time of year. There are many things that parents can do to help prevent these common injuries:

1) Light candles with lights rather than candles. Jack o’ lanterns are a major cause of burn injuries each year, as children peer into jack o’ lanterns or get too close with their costumes. The best way to prevent these accidents is to use specially-designed LED or portable lights in pumpkins rather than candles. These are not only safer, but they can light your carved pumpkin for a much longer time.

2) Look out for candles and dry ice. Many families decorate their homes with candles to create that “spooky” Halloween look. Some families also add ice to punch bowls to create steaming “witches brews.” While both these ideas can make your home festive, candles and dry ice can pose a burn hazard. If you have small children, you will need to either supervise carefully or avoid candles and dry ice for a few years, until your children know how to stay safe. At the very least, ensure that dry ice and candles are kept well out of reach of small children.

According to the Burn Institute, about 2.4 million Americans sustain burn injuries each year. Of these, about 75,000 people require hospitalization while 650,000 require medical treatment. Burn injuries often occur as a result of fires, chemical burns, hot water burns, or as a result of car accidents.

Hot water burns are the most common cause of burn injuries to children, according to the Burn Institute. They are also a very preventable form of injury. Parents can protect their children from hot water burns by reducing the hot water heater temperature to 120 degrees F and by testing bath water before a child’s bath. Additionally, parents should avoid carrying hot water near children and should cook hot liquids on the back of the stove. In a household with younger children, do not use tablecloths, since a child can easily pull dishes and cups of hot water on themselves by tugging at the cloth. Careful supervision in the kitchen and the bathroom are also needed to prevent injuries.

In addition to hot water, everyday appliances and items – such as stoves and matches – can easily lead to childhood burn injuries. The Burn Institute recommends that to prevent such injuries, parents keep any hot appliance – including hair straighteners, curling irons, hair drivers, heaters, stoves, and other items – well secured from children. Matches, lighters, and flammable fluids should also be carefully locked away where children cannot get them.

Smoke detectors prevent burn injuries, smoke inhalation, fire fatalities, and other personal injuries related to fire because they alert house inhabitants that a fire has started. Smoke alarms give victims a warning system so that they can safely escape a burning building, but not all smoke detectors are built the same.

A new study has found that residential photoelectric alarms are a better choice, as they are more likely to remain working. The study, conducted by the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (HIPRC) in conjunction with the University of Washington in Seattle, evaluated ionization alarms as well as photoelectric household smoke alarms and concluded that photoelectric types are far more likely to continue functioning correctly after they are installed. Despite this, most smoke alarms in the US are ionization alarms.

Researchers in the study examined 750 Washington state households and discovered that within 9 months of installation, 5% of the photoelectric smoke alarms and 20% of the ionized smoke alarms did not work. Six months after the initial follow-up, researchers returned to the homes and found a similar trend – many more of the ionization alarms were not working, while most of the photoelectric smoke alarms were working.

The American Red Cross, the National Fire Protection Association, and Florida Fire Marshal Alex are warning Florida residents about the risks of using alternative forms of fuel. The move comes after a survey conducted in late September showed that Florida residents were concerned about rising fuel costs. In fact, many Florida residents surveyed planned to supplement their heating with stoves, ovens, portable space heaters and fireplaces to keep fuel costs low.

According to Sink, home fires already cause far too many fatalities and serious burn injuries as well as other forms of personal injury. Those residents considering using alternative sources of energy should proceed with caution, he notes. Stoves and ovens should be used for cooking only and families should be cautious and use space heaters with automatic shutoffs only to prevent fires. Anyone planning on using a fireplace to stay warm this winter should have that fireplace cleaned professionally and checked by a professional – items stuck in chimneys and build-up can cause fire.

Sink is worried that Florida residents hoping to use alternative forms of fuel are not careful enough with their heating options. According to the September survey, 36% of participants with fireplaces never cleaned or had their chimneys inspected. Another 23% of survey participants did not think it was vital that someone is home when the stove or oven are on or when food is cooking on the stove.

Making the right decisions about burn treatment soon after a burn injury takes place can make all the difference. Burns are a very serious and potentially devastating personal injury, since they can cause disfigurement as well as internal damage. If you see someone who has just sustain a burn, take these steps:

1) Get the victim to “Stop, Drop, and Roll.” This will smother any remaining flames.

2) Attempt to remove any clothing that is burned. If the burn is so severe that the clothing sticks to the skin, tear or cut the clothing around the burned area.

In Florida, many burn injuries occur inside the home, where hot liquids, chemicals, and fires can occur inside the home. However, each year many Florida residents are injured and sustain burn injuries in public places, such as schools, hotels, and places of work. These burns can be especially difficult to deal with because you may be less familiar with public surroundings and you may have less access to a first aid kit or other help. If a fire breaks out in a public building, pushing and panic from others caught in the fire can cause slip and fall accidents, broken bones, and spinal cord injuries as everyone runs for the exits. To reduce your chances of serious burn injuries in Florida’s public buildings:

1) Get to know the evacuation plans and the exits in buildings where you work and stay. Get to know exits, especially. In the event of a fire, the building may be very dark, so you need to be certain where you are going. In most buildings, fire exits are clearly marked with lit signs.

2) Keep all fire exits are unlocked and clear of clutter. If you notice that a building you visit frequently has inaccessible fire exits, talk to the manager or owner of the building. He or she is violating fire codes by not providing easy access to fire exits. If the problem persists, do not be shy about reporting the fire hazard.

3) Look for the smoke detectors. Each public building should have them. Make sure that these detectors work and that you know what the alarm sounds like. In a building where you spend a lot of time – such as the place you work or volunteer – suggest fire drills.

4) Treat every alarm as though it is a fire. Some fire alarms malfunction or are pulled by pranksters regularly, and this makes people inside the building blasé about responding to the alarm. In a fire situation, this can be a real danger. As soon as you hear the alarm, leave the building and pull doors closed behind you as you go.

5) If you are trapped in a building during a fire, crawl low to the ground to avoid smoke inhalation. Cover your mouth and nose with a moist cloth and try to leave the building if it is safe to do so. Before opening any door, check to see whether the doorknob and space around the door is hot. If it is hot, do not open the door as fire may be very close. If the door is cool, open the door slowly, check to see that the route is clear and close the door behind you when you leave. Draw attention to your plight if you cannot get out. Yell for help out of the window, call the fire department, or wave a large object out a window to draw attention to yourself. Get away from the fire and try to close as many doors as possible to give yourself a cushion. Place cloth under all doors to seal out smoke and wait for help.

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If someone is burned by electricity, chemicals, or heat, the victim needs help right away. Minor burns can cause scarring and severe pain. Burns that penetrate beneath the surface of the skin can damage tissue, fat, and bones. Electrical burns can be especially tricky to diagnose or treat on the spot, since they may not leave marks at all. Electrical burns, even when they leave no visible injury, however, can damage tissues and even organs. If an electric jolt disturbs a victim’s heart rhythm cardiac arrest can be the result. Additionally, the jolt of electricity that can cause electrical burns can also throw a victim, causing spinal corn injuries, broken bones, brain injuries, and other damage. If you see that an electrical jolt or burn has taken place, you should:

1) Call 911 or the local emergency number. This is especially the case if the victim appears to be in distress, is confused, is having trouble breathing, has an irregular heartbeat, or has lost consciousness. Even if the victim appears to be fine, it is important to get medical help right away, since the electrical charge may have caused damage that is not immediately evident.

2) While waiting for medical help to arrive, evaluate the situation first. Is the person still in contact with the electrical source? Avoid touching the victim if this is the case, since he or she may pass the current to you. If the victim is conscious, assure him or her that help is on the way and ask about medical history and any pain the victim is feeling. That way, even if the victim loses consciousness before help can arrive, you can pass on important medical information – such as blood type, existing medical conditions, allergies, and the victim’s name – to the emergency medical personnel.

3) If possible, turn off the source of electricity. If you cannot do this, try to move the source of electricity away from both you and the victim. You can do this safely by using a non-conducting object that is made of cardboard, plastic or wood.

4) Check to see if the victim is breathing. If he or she is not, begin CPR.

5) Lay the victim down in a position where the victim’s head is slightly lower than the abdomen. Elevate the legs. This can help prevent shock.

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Each year across the country over two million Americans sustain burn injuries. Of these victims, about 70,000 require hospital care. The American College of Emergency Physicians notes that many burns are entirely preventable and that a disproportionately large number of burns affect minors and young children. Florida residents can reduce the incidence of burns by:

*Watching for hot liquids. Many injuries to minors and children occur because hot liquids are left where children can spill the liquids on themselves. To prevent this, keep pot handles turned away from the front of the stove when cooking. Also, avoid leaving hot cups or bowls of liquid on tables or counter edges, where children may be able to reach them. In the same vein, avoid carrying hot liquids while holding your child or while near your child.

*Testing food temperatures. Before feeding your child, make sure that you test the temperature of the food. Be especially wary of food heated in the microwave – microwaves can heat food unevenly, so that it is hot inside and lukewarm outside.

*Replacing all lighters in the home with child-resistant lighters. It is important to note that even with child-resistant lighters, it is crucial to keep all matches and lighters in a locked cupboard or cabinet, where children cannot reach. Even though a product is labeled “child-resistant” that does not mean that a child will not be able to use the lighter with some practice.

*Setting your water heater set to between 120º and 125º F. Before placing your child in the bath, test the bath water. Hot water from your tap can scald and even seriously burn a small child.

*Watching out for electrical burns. Electrocution and burns can occur when electrical cords become worn, so always replace electrical cords that have seen a lot of wear and tear. Any unused electric outlets should also be covered with safety caps.

*Keeping aware of product recalls. Many electrical appliances are recalled each year because they are a fire hazard. Many product liability claims are also filed in courts each year over products that pose a danger in the home. To protect yourself and your family, buy appliances new (rather than purchasing used products) and submit your warranty or registration card right away. The manufacturer will contact you if the product you have bought has a defect. Also, keep alert to news of product recalls. Immediately stop using any product that may be recalled.

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