Dr. MJ Bazos, MD, Patient Handout

Burns: Preventing Burns in Your Home

Burns often happen unexpectedly, but there are things you can do to help prevent them:

• Prevent burns from house fires by putting smoke alarms in your home. Check them every week. If they run on batteries, put in new batteries every 6 months. Think about how you would get out of your home in a fire emergency, and plan ahead. Have regular fire drills at home.
• Prevent chemical burns by wearing gloves and other protective clothing when you handle chemicals. Store chemicals up high, where children can't reach them.
• If you smoke, don't smoke in bed. Get rid of used cigarettes carefully.
• Put covers on any electrical outlets that are within children's reach.
• Test the water temperature before you or your children get into the tub or shower. Don't let young children touch the faucet handles during a bath.
• Set the temperature on your hot water heater to 120º F, or use the "low-medium" setting. Water that is hotter than this can cause burns in 2 to 3 seconds.
• Turn the handles of pots and pans toward the side of the stove, or use the back burners of the stove. Don't let small children play near the stove or help you cook at the stove. Don't wear clothing with long, loose sleeves when you are cooking.
• Use cool-water humidifiers or vaporizers. Hot-steam vaporizers can cause burns if you get too close to them.
• Before putting a child less than 1 year old into a car seat, touch the seat to see how hot it is. Hot seat-belt straps or buckles can cause partial-thickness burns (also called second-degree burns) on small children. Cover the car seat with a towel if you park in the sun.