National Burn Awareness Day 2017

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) is supporting National Burn Awareness Day which is taking place on 18 October 2017.

The latest figures from the Children's Burns Trust and The British Burn Association show that in 2016 more than 6000 children were burned or scalded. This figure only relates to the more serious burns that required admission to a hospital burns unit and over 50% of these were children under the age of 5 years old.

Steve Duffield, HFRS Public Safety Group Manager, wants to drive down these figures locally and nationally:

'The vast majority of burn injuries are accidents, and most are entirely avoidable. Hot drinks are the most common cause of scald injury in children, followed by contact with electric cookers, irons and hair straighteners. If people take away one key message from National Burn Awareness Day 2017, it is that prevention and good first aid are the vital ingredients in reducing the number of burn-related accidents'.

He continued:

'With Halloween just around the corner, we also wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents and carers to only buy fancy dress costumes from reputable retailers and to always check the label – clothing will always burn if in contact with naked flames but some faster than others'.

HFRS offered this advice:

Burn First Aid

Cool, call and cover!

Cool the burn with running cold tap water for 20 minutes and remove all clothing and jewellery (unless it is melted or firmly stuck to the wound).
Call for help – 999 in an emergency, or 111 or local GP for non-emergency advice,
Cover with cling film or a sterile, non-fluffy dressing or cloth. Make sure the patient is kept warm.

Safety advice:

Remember to keep things that can cause fire – candles, matches and lighters – or are hot – kettles, irons and hair straighteners – out of children's reach.

• Make sure children don't play near fires or heaters to avoid them getting burnt
• Use the back hobs on the stove and make sure saucepan handles don't stick out to avoid them being knocked off
• Never leave children unattended in the kitchen
• Fit a childproof guard in front of open fires or heaters – the best ones can be fixed to the wall
• Clothing will always burn if in contact with naked flames – but some much faster than others
• If your or your children's clothes catch fire, stop, drop and roll. Don't run around, you'll make the flames worse. Lie down and roll around to make it harder for the fire to spread and smother the flames with a heavy material, like a coat or blanket.

Run cold water first in the bath or sink before adding hot water – test the temperature. Don't put a baby or child into a bath or sink until the water has been tested.
Store chemicals, cleaners and acids out of reach.

For more information visit www.cbtrust.org.uk or www.britishburnassociation.org