National Burn Awareness Week — The week of February 5 – 11, 2023 is set aside to bring burn awareness to everyone.
This year’s Burn Awareness Week theme is “Hot Liquids Burn Like Fire!” in an effort to remind people of simple but important steps to take to prevent scald injuries.
According to the American Burn Association (ABA), approximately every minute in the United States someone suffers a burn injury that needs treatment. Hot liquids are the leading cause of scald injuries and scald burns make up 35% of all burn injuries treated at U.S. burn centers. An estimated 9-30% of cooking-related burn injuries occur to young children while pulling hot food/liquids from microwave ovens.
See below for some safety tips.
Safety in the kitchen:
- When taking food out of the oven, always wear oven mitts to prevent scald injury.
- Microwaved foods can be hot enough to cause a burn. Always open lids away from your body.
- Never hold a child while cooking or carrying hot foods to prevent a scald injury.
- Never heat a baby bottle in a microwave oven. Heat baby bottles in warm water from the faucet.
- Allow microwaved food time to cool before eating.
- Place hot liquids and food in the center of a table or toward the back of a counter to prevent spills that could result in scald burns.
- Use a tight-fitting lid with travel mugs to prevent a burn if the cup happen to tip over.
- Choose prepackaged soups whose containers have a wide base or, to avoid the possibility of a spill, pour the soup into a traditional bowl after heating.
Child Safety
- Teach children that hot things can burn. Install anti-scald devices on tub faucets and shower heads.
- When bathing a child, be sure to run your hand through the water to ensure there are no hot spots that could cause injury.
- Establish a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
- Always supervise a child in or near a bathtub.
To learn more about National Burn Awareness Week, please visit the American Burn Association.
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