by Katelyn Vercoe

Created on: April 30, 2008

Burns are extremely painful, may scar permanently and occur with alarming frequency in the home environment. We need to be particularly aware of potential dangers in the home and take measures to prevent accidental burns. Parents need to educate their children, training them not to touch hot surfaces or behave in an unsafe manner around hot substances.

Accidental burns may be suffered in most areas of the home, but the two rooms with the greatest chance of burning occurring are the kitchen and the bathroom. Vigilance is required to reduce the possibility of burns.

IN THE KITCHEN

Guards may be placed around the stove, or may block access to the kitchen entirely. Saucepan handles should be turned to the centre of the stove, to prevent children from reaching up and pulling a pan down on themselves. Electric appliances, such as kettles, toasters, sandwich makers and fry pans should be placed well back on the bench tops, away from the edge. Adults should also take care not to burn themselves. Steam from a kettle or a boiling pot has burnt many arms, reaching over to stir an adjacent pot. Ensure that pot holders and oven mitts are discarded when their insulating qualities are compromised and remind yourself, as you use the kitchen, that a hotplate remains quite hot for some time after it has been extinguished.

IN THE BATHROOM

Always check the temperature of the bath or shower, before placing your full body in the water. When running the bath or shower for children, begin with the cold water and add the hot. Many hot water services have a facility for selecting the desired maximum temperature, which should be utilized. Hair dryers, hot rollers and straighteners are all potential hazards in the bathroom, both to children who want to do their hair like Mummy's, and to the more mature person who becomes distracted whilst using them. Be certain to keep such beauty tools out of the reach of children and to remove them from the power source when they are no longer in use.

IN THE LAUNDRY

Some clothes dryers can be hot to touch and care should be taken when unloading washing from them. Occasionally some articles of clothing can be extremely hot when removed from a tumble dryer, and may have pockets of steam trapped within them.

Irons are significant hazards in the home. Children should never be left unattended near a hot iron. It is perhaps unwise to iron with young children near the ironing board as they may trip over the cord, or bump the board, inflicting injury on themselves

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