Burn safety at home

Posted: 4/1/2020

More than 73% of burn injuries needing hospitalization occur in the home. With more people staying at home and trying to balance work, school, and other family responsibilities, Parkland Regional Burn Center would like to remind you how to keep your family safe.

Know This: 
• Hot food and hot liquid can cause severe burn injuries just like fire! 
• Toddlers especially are fast and curious. They are quick to pull pot handles, coffee cups, and appliance cords. 
• We frequently treat children of all ages who have been burned by hot soup and instant noodles from the microwave. 

Do This: 
• Keep Children Away from the Stove. Create a 3-foot “no kids zone” around your stove and teach kids not to come near while cooking. Use the back burners and turn your pot handles away from the edge. 
• Keep All Hot Items in the Kitchen Out of Reach. Hot drinks and hot appliances such as slow cookers should be pushed back away from the edges of countertops. Check appliance cords to make sure they are also tucked out of reach. 
• Always Supervise Children Using the Microwave. Help children with items that may be too hot to handle and easy to spill. If children are too young to follow written directions, they are too young to use a microwave oven without supervision.