Each year about 481 children under the age of 14 die because of unintentional fires or burn-related injuries, says Candice Ahwah Gonzalez of Safe Kids Worldwide in this month’s FEMA Preparedness Call. The most recent data shows that nearly 90,000 children under the age of 14 sustained a nonfatal fire- or burn-related injury. In addition, data shows that scald injuries from a hot liquid are most prevalent for children under the age of 5. Gonzalez offers tips to prevent these kinds of injuries.
- Heat baby bottles in warm water and not in a microwave. Test them before for feeding to a child.
- When children are in the bathtub, watch them closely and test the water for hot spots. - A household with small children should never use tablecloths because they can easily be pulled down.
- Make a 3-ft area around the stove a kid-free zone.
- Cook on the back burners of the stove when possible and turn the pot handles toward the back so they cannot be easily reached by children.
- Keep appliance cords away from counter edges.
- Keep hot food and drinks away from counter edges.
“One of the things to remember is that most burn injuries occur in the home, mainly in the kitchen,” Gonzalez says. “Most of this [advice] seems elementary but these are the things that people are not doing that causes children to be burned.” For more information about preventing burn and scald injuries, click here.
A Blog From the American Society of Safety Engineers