Salamanders Young Burn Survivors > Be Aware! Be Safe! > Burn Safety Tips

Preventing Burns

Keep your water heater set no higher than 50degreesC (125degreesF). Always run cold water into the bath-tub first, then add the hot water.

Keep hot liquids and containers, and electrical appliance flexes, away from the edge of tables and kitchen work-tops.

When cooking, always make sure the pan handles don't overhang the edge of your cooker.

Never wear loose clothing near cookers, open fires, and heaters. Always wear short sleeves when you are tending a fire or cooking.

Be careful using microwave ovens. Steam escaping from the container can cause scalds. Foods can be just warm in one spot and scalding in another.

Never forget that portable heaters, laundry irons, electric hair curlers, and even table lamps take time to cool down after use.

Always switch off ovens and hotplates after use, and remember that they will stay hot enough to burn for some time after.

Pay attention to "flammable" and "corrosive" warnings on chemical products. Always read and follow the safety guidelines.

Never use petrol (gasoline) for anything other than to fuel an engine. Never top up a fuel tank in an enclosed space (such as a garage or shed).

Keep away from outdoor power lines, and never fly a kite anywhere near them.

Never throw aerosol cans or electric batteries on a fire. Never use petrol (gasoline), lighter fuel, or paraffin (kerosene) to make a fire burn better.

Be safe in the sunshine - don't stay in the sun too long unless you are covered up or using sun-screen cream. Remember that you may not feel the sun burning you if there is a breeze cooling you or if you have been in water.
If you are a burn survivor, it is especially important to keep the sun off the places that have been burned, because those places will not have the same natural protection as normal skin.

Never leave a young child alone in a bathroom or kitchen, or in a room with a convector heater or an open fire.
Keep young children away from hot taps (faucets) and water pipes.
Never drink hot tea or coffee while you are holding a child.
Keep matches, lighters, and chemicals such as bleach out of reach of children.

Fire Safety

Keep interior doors closed at night - a normal door may keep fire back for more than 15 minutes.

If you have an open fire, use a fire guard, especially when the room is empty. Keep furniture, curtains, and drying laundry at least one meter away from fires and cookers.

Install smoke detectors in each bedroom corridor, at the top of each stairway and along your normal exit route. Check the batteries once a month, and replace them at the same time each year.

Never leave a chip pan (deep fryer) unattended. Never fill a chip pan more than one-third full with fat or oil.

Never smoke in bed, or leave a burning cigarette in an ashtray. Always make sure cigarette ends are properly extinguished. Before emptying ashtrays, make sure the contents are completely cold.

Have electrical appliances serviced annually. Switch off and unplug anything that is not being used. Worn flexes must be replaced, not taped. Danger signs: blown fuses, flickering lights, scorch marks on sockets or plugs, hot plugs or sockets.

Plan an escape route from every room in your house, bearing in mind that your normal exit route may be blocked by fire.

If a fire does start, don't stop to pick anything up, don't bother to put more clothes on;
GET OUT AT ONCE and STAY OUT!

Print out this list of safety tips, make your own list, or download our 'Preventing Burns' desktop wallpaper and our 'Fire Safety' desktop wallpaper. Learn these guidelines and follow them, but remember to use your common sense as well - there are always other ways to get burned, and we could never list them all.

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