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Burn Prevention and When to Call Medical Professionals

The best way to help burn victims is to be active in preventing burn injuries. There are several practical tips we can all learn about how to prevent burns. There are easy steps to remember about when it is necessary to contact professional medical care if a burn should happen.

To help prevent burns at home, school and at work remember these simple steps:

* It is vital to install smoke alarms in all levels of a building. Make sure that your home, school and workplace has working smoke alarms installed and maintained.

* Teach children about fire safety and practice fire drills on a monthly basis.

* Teach children not to play with matches or fireworks. Do not assume that children know not to play with these items, tell them not to. Do not wait for anyone else such as a teacher to tell your child, take the initiative to be sure your child knows to not play around with fire.

* Do not allow children to climb on top of a stove or to grab handles from items on a stove, to touch an iron, or to open oven doors. Teach your child about how to be safe around a stove or any other hot appliance.

* Always, always turn pot and pan handles toward the back of the stove, so that children cannot grab them.

* Always have working fire extinguishers in key locations at home, school and at work.

It is important to have at least one fire extinguisher on each level of your home, school or workplace.

The fire extinguisher needs to be in clear sight so do not put them in closets.

The kitchen and garage are the two most important places to have fire extinguisher.

The kitchen is where the majority of fires start.

Do not place the fire extinguisher near the stove.

The best place to locate a fire extinguisher in your kitchen is by the kitchen door.

Where ever you usually keep leftover paints, solvents, or building materials is where you should keep another fire extinguisher. Usually the place these things are stored in is the garage.

The best place to put a fire extinguisher is near the garage door.

No one wants a burn to happen and we should all do all we can to prevent them from happening, but should someone receive a burn it is important to be able to distinguish minor burns from major burns. Applying first aid tactics for burns can care for minor burns. Usually minor burns do not need any more treatment other than basic first aid for burns. Burns that are major (2nd degree burns that cover more than 2 or 3" of skin and 3rd degree burns) definitely need to have professional medical care.

Here are some easy steps to remember about how to determine when it is necessary to contact professional medical care if a burn should happen:

* Contact a medical professional if the burn is extensive (the size of your palm or larger).

* The burn is a major burn (palm size 2nd-degree burn or a 3rd-degree burn).

* You are not sure what degree burn it is

* The burn is caused by either a chemical or by electricity

* The individual is showing signs of being in shock

* Smoke was inhaled

* The known or suspected cause of the burn is abuse