Burns and Scalds Information

Facts and Figures

Every year over 37,000 people are seen in hospitals because burns and scalds injure them.

Incidents are caused by a wide variety of causes and can vary from minor to fatal.

Every 1.5 minutes someone in the UK is burnt or scalded.

Apart from the obvious physical pain suffered, victims of burns and scalds suffer acute psychological distress and also parents of children that are burnt or scalded suffer psychologically as a result of their injuries.

Did you know that children under 5 years of age suffer nearly 45% of all severe burns and scalds because of accidents. About 50% of these accidents happen in the kitchen.

10 under 5s are severely burnt or scalded in the home every day. A hot drink can still scald a small child up to 15 minutes after it is made.

General Tips and Advice

To ensure your child is safe at home you have to anticipate danger before an accident happens. It is possible to prevent accidents by simply being vigilant and removing your child from danger whenever it arises but young children need to explore their world without someone constantly dragging them away from the most interesting places.

You may think your home is safe but children can be injured by everyday things that seem harmless.

Never heat up a baby's milk in a microwave. It may heat the milk unevenly and some parts may become very hot. Stir up baby food thoroughly if it is heated in a microwave.
Put cold water in the bath or sink first and then add the hot water to the required temperature. Check the temperature before putting your children in the bath.
Do not set the thermostat for the hot water too high in case children turn on the hot tap.
Never let children drink a hot drink through a straw
Never drink a hot drink with a baby or child on your lap.
Use a coiled flex on your kettle to stop dangling. Water in kettle stays hot enough to scald a child for up to an hour after boiling.
Put the iron away after use and never leave flex dangling. Avoid distractions when ironing when children are around.
Use the back rings on your cooker and keep saucepan handles turned inwards
Keep young children out of the kitchen unless they are fully supervised.
The front of the oven and even the washing machine can become very hot, enough to burn a young child. Keep them away.
Use a full sized fireguard around a gas, electric or open fires. Be cautious with radiators. Do not dry or air clothes on fireguards.
Use mats not tablecloths so children can't pull hot food and drinks down.
Keep teapots and cups away from the table edge. Don't have hot drinks on the floor where children could pull them over and don't carry hot drinks over a childs head.

Sun Safety Code

Below is the sun safety code that offers some practical advice on staying safe in the sun.

1 Take Care Not to Burn

Sunburn hurts - you may find yourself missing all the fun because of painful sunburn. Don't be fooled by a light breeze or cloud. You can still get burnt on a cloudy day.

2 Cover Up on Hot Days

Make sure your sunglasses have the BSEM 1836-1997 label and the CE mark. Take special care of your ears and neck - they are the most common places for skin cancers. A hat with a wider brim will give you better protection. People with fair skin, red hair or lots of freckles or moles are most at risk. People with brown or black skin are at much lower risk and generally do not need protection in the UK

3 Stay in the Shade

Stay in the shade during the hottest part of the day - between 11am and 3pm

4 Apply Generously

Use a high factor sunscreen no less than SPF15 and a 3 or 4 star rating. Apply sunscreen thickly over all exposed areas of skin. Use an hour before going outside and re-apply it frequently and generously, especially if you are swimming or doing other water sports. Sunscreens should only be used in combination with other methods of sun protection.

5 Protect Children

Getting sunburnt as a child increases your risk of skin cancer later. Babies under a year old should be kept out of the sun. Toddlers and young children should wear loose fitting clothing, wide brimmed hats and sunglasses. Encourage young children to play in the shade during the hottest part of the day.

First Aid Advice

First aid simple guide for all

Immediately run cold water over the burnt area for at least 10 minutes.
A shower or bath is useful for larger areas.
Remove tight clothing or jewellery as burnt skin can swell. However, do not pull clothing off that has stuck to the skin. This can cause damage.
A cold compress such as a tea towel soaked in cold water may be soothing over the burnt area. You can apply this after the initial cooling under cold water.
For anything other than a small burn you should seek medical advice. See a Doctor or Nurse if you are unsure what to do after a burn.
DO NOT prick blisters.
DO NOT apply cream, ointment, oil butter, grease etc (however, the exception is for mild sunburn. A specialist moisturiser cream may be soothing).
DO NOT put on adhesive, sticky or fluffy dressings.

Home Care After a Burn

If the burn is small and you are happy to manage this at home:

Leave the burn or scald uncovered it will heal faster. If blistered leave uncovered but if it bursts use a dry non-adhesive, non-fluffy sterile dressing.

See a doctor or nurse if:

The burn becomes infected.
You need a tetanus injection.
Blister occurs.

Go straight to casualty (after cooling with water first)

Electrical burns.
Third degree (deep) burns.
Second degree (partical thickness) burns on the face, hands, feet, legs or genitals. These are burns which can cause blisters.
Any burn that is larger than the size of the hand.
Cover the burn before going to casualty with a clean, non-fluffy cloth (cotton pillowcase, linen tea towel, cling film is ideal) etc.

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