I saw a Tweet a few days ago by @usfire on Twitter concerning "National Burn Awareness Week." Here's the twitter tweet . . .
@usfire : Burn Awareness Week is Feb 7-13. Educator's guide & presentations on scald injury available at http://bit.ly/bj85yo
It caught my attention to where I asked myself, "What is it?" After checking the link that @usfire provided I did a re-tweet (RT) of it, because after checking the link it became apparent that this was very important, useful common sense safety information.
Here a compiled collection of information that's out there on the internet concerning burn awareness:
Burn Awareness Week 2010 is February 7-13 and is part of a national effort to cut down on burn injuries. This Annual Safety Prevention Campaign is sponsored by the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The 2010 Burn Awareness Week, celebrated early in the year, is an excellent opportunity to “kick off” a year full of burn awareness education. This year's campaign will focus on preventing scalds and gasoline-related burns. Scalds are the leading cause of burn injuries every year, especially to children under the age of 5 and to senior citizens. Shriners Hospitals report that children ages 10-14 are four times more likely than other age groups to get in trouble with gasoline, and that scald burns are the most common burn injury among children age 4 and younger.
Children have thinner skin than adults. They will sustain more severe burns at lower temperatures and in a shorter period of time. Exposure for just five seconds to water which is 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) can result in a full thickness or third degree burns, which would require hospitalization and skin grafts. (This is the temperature of the average home’s hot water as it comes from the tap).
Here is a YouTube video concerning the importance of testing the temperature of bathwater before putting children into the tub. . .
Cooling the burned area will lessen the severity of the injury if the procedure is performed immediately following the burn incident. Children need to know the correct procedure for cooling a burn injury.
Scald injuries occur from a variety of causes, including hot coffee or chocolate, grease, foods from the microwave and hot water. Adults are most often injured by hot grease or by their clothing catching on fire while cooking.
In the event of a burn, it is important to immediately take the following steps:
* Cool all burns with tepid to cool water, regardless of degree.
* Continue flushing the area for up to 10 minutes. Do not apply ice, ointments, butter or other "home remedies." Remove all clothing or garments to reduce the contact time with the hot items.
* Cover affected areas with a clean dry cloth, towel or blanket to protect the burn and minimize pain.
* Seek medical advice if there is sloughing of the skin. Seek urgent medical attention if the area of skin sloughing is larger than the victim’s palm size.
Burn Awareness Week 2010 is intended to make people, especially parents and child caregivers, aware of the dangers involved with the improper use and storage of gasoline, as well as the dangers involved with scalding-hot liquids. Children’s are curious, and sometimes mischievous, nature tends to put them at risk for burns.
Burns caused by ignited vapor from gasoline or scalding hot water can scar the victim for life and leave long-lasting physical pain.
There are several layers of tissue that have to go through a healing process if there is a burn injury. A burn is painful for a significant amount of time. When you suffer with a burn injury, you are stuck with that for life. Burns are the most disfiguring injury someone can suffer from.
In regards to gasoline safety, gas should be stored in approved containers in a ventilated area away from any heat sources. Plastic gas containers should not be filled while they are in the back of pickups with plastic bed liners, because the opposing plastic materials create static electricity that can ignite gas vapor.
Because gasoline is so commonly used to fuel our cars, boats, lawnmowers and other outdoor machinery, people often forget that gasoline is a dangerous tool and should be handled responsibly.
Here some PowerPoint presentation on burn prevention programs that were developed for community education and outreach initiatives:
Fire/Burn Safety for Older Adults
It doesn't hurt to remind people of this very important fire safety/prevention issue. Just as it's important to remind family members and co-workers to wipe their shoes when coming in from sloppy weather. That puddle of water that develops from un-wiped shoes becomes a slipping hazard. Knowing what to do beforehand can be critical when it comes to burn injuries.
It's simple and easy to do . . .
LEARN NOT TO BURN
&
BE FIRE SAFE !
Referance Links:
http://www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Burn_Awareness/
http://www.ameriburn.org/
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
