Did you know that according to The Children’s Burns Trust, the NHS services treat more than 30 babies and toddlers with a hot drink burn every day.
That’s over 10,000 babies and toddlers a year!
Did you know that 95% of all childhood burns and scalds happen at home.
Most are caused in day-to-day preventable situations that many parents don’t anticipate, like children reaching for a hot drink or grabbing hair straighteners.
Here are some tops tips for keeping children safe from burns in the home:
Turn the saucepan handles away from the edge of the counter or cooker and use the back rings keeps them out of reach of little hands.
Push kettle cords to the back of the worktop to keep it out of reach.
Hot drinks can easily be knocked over or grabbed by little fingers, and a cup of tea can burn even 15 minutes after it’s been made. So put your baby or child down before picking up your hot drink, avoid passing them over children’s heads and keep them out of reach of children.
Hobs and hotplates can all stay hot even after they’ve been turned off, and oven doors can be very hot when the oven is on. Always supervise children around a hot oven.
Matches, cigarette lighters and candles are grown-up objects. Toddlers and young children can find them fascinating. It’s safest to keep matches, lighters and candles out of their reach and sight.
Hair straighteners can reach temperatures of 235oC – that’s as hot as an iron. Store them safely on a high shelf, or put inside a heatproof bag.
Irons will stay hot after they’re unplugged. Even older children could make a mistake and touch a hot iron. It’s always safest to put it away out of reach and out of sight after you’ve used it.
So, what should you do if your child does accidentally suffer a burn at home?
COOL
Cool the burn under cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes. Remove clothing on the affected area and keep the rest of the body warm.
COVER
Cover the burn with cling film or a sterile non-fluffy dressing to keep it clean.
CALL
Call for help – either 999, 111 or your local GP depending on the severity of the burn.
Learn More
To learn more about burns and how to deal with any emergency involving a baby or child book your Daisy First Aid class today.
Just head to the home page and pop in your postcode to find your local Daisy trainer.