Posted: 2/1/2017
Burn Prevention, Fire Safety Fair slated for Feb. 6
As the winter chill gives way to warmer temperatures and sunnier days, working in the yard doesn’t seem quite the chore. Lawn mowers and leaf blowers that have been stored for months are seeing the light of day. But just as people may need a jump start after a frigid day so, too, can small engines. That’s why staff in Parkland Health & Hospital System’s world-renowned Regional Burn Center caution against using gasoline to prime an engine or when the weather warms start a fire to burn brush or trash, a practice common in many areas of Texas, as it can result in devastating burn injuries.
“There is a lack of understanding of the explosive nature of gasoline; people underestimate the danger,” said Stephanie Campbell, RN, Parkland’s Burn Program Manager. “Gasoline-related burns are preventable and are often associated with its misuse.”
In conjunction with Burn Awareness Week, Feb. 5-11, Parkland is partnering with the American Burn Association (ABA) to provide information on ways to prevent gasoline and other burn injuries. Burn Center staff will host a Burn Prevention and Safety Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Feb. 6 in the private dining room located in the first floor cafeteria at Parkland Memorial Hospital, 5200 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, 75235. The event will offer burn prevention education including electronic smoking device safety; cooking, gasoline and home oxygen safety; Dallas Fire-Rescue Department’s “hazard house” for hands-on fire prevention demonstrations regarding smoke alarms; escape planning and carbon monoxide detectors; candle safety; and an appearance by Sparky the Fire Dog.
Gasoline-related burns take an enormous toll both in terms of human life and property damage. Each year, thousands of individuals suffer gasoline-related burns that require a visit to a hospital emergency room and – in many cases – hospitalization. In addition, approximately 500 people die each year in the U.S. as a result of gasoline-related burns, according to the ABA. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that gasoline-related fires account for over $450 million in direct property damage each year.
The flash point – the lowest temperature at which the vapors of a fluid will ignite – of kerosene is 100 degrees versus the flash point of gasoline, which is minus 45 degrees. This means gasoline is always ready to ignite. The fumes and vapor are just as dangerous as the actual liquid and those fumes are capable of ignition up to 12 feet from the gasoline source.
The American Burn Association offers some important safety tips in handling gasoline:
• Do not smoke when handling gasoline.
• Keep gasoline out of children's sight and reach. Children should never handle gasoline.
• If a fire does start while handling gasoline, do not attempt to extinguish the fire or stop the flow of gasoline. Leave the area immediately and call for help.
• Do not use or store gasoline near possible ignition sources (i.e., electrical devices, oil- or gas-fired appliances, or any other device that contains a pilot flame or a spark).
• Store gasoline outside the home (i.e., in a garage or lawn shed) in a tightly closed metal or plastic container approved by an independent testing laboratory or the local or state fire authorities. Never store gasoline in glass containers or non-reusable plastic containers (i.e., milk jugs).
• Store only enough gasoline necessary to power equipment and let small motors cool before refueling (for example, lawn mowers and leaf blowers).
• Never use gasoline:
o Inside the home
o As a cleaning agent
o A solvent
o An insecticide
o A weed killer
o A weapon
o A fuel in devices designed for other fuels, such as kerosene
o To start a fire or make a fire larger
• NEVER use gasoline to burn brush or trash
• Clean up spills promptly and discard clean-up materials properly
• Use caution when fueling automobiles. Do not get in and out of the automobile when fueling. Although rare, an electrical charge on your body could spark a fire, especially during the dry winter months.
• Buy a gas can that contains a built in “flame arrestor” to potentially reduce the risk of an explosion.
“Many of the patients we see have used gasoline while burning brush or trash for years. Unfortunately it only takes one accidental ignition to cause life-altering or life-threatening burn injuries. Using gasoline to start or increase a fire is a dangerous practice that is not worth the risk,” Campbell said. “It’s important to use caution when handling and storing this highly flammable substance.”
For more information about services available at Parkland, please visit www.parklandhospital.com