Burns – The Need for Caution

Every year in Canada, severe injuries and deaths occur as a result of burns and scalds.  Sadly, many of these injuries affected children and could have easily been prevented.  Usually, it’s children’s curiosity that gets them into trouble.  They come across a lighter or matches, or they manage to get too close to a baseboard heater or a hot stove element.

Burns from Hot Liquids

  • When bathing children, always turn cold water on first before the hot. Test the water temperature before allowing your child to get into the bathtub or shower. Consider adjusting your hot water heater to a maximum temperature of 49° C or 120° F.
  • Children should not play with a hot water tap. Teach them to turn the cold water on first.
  • Avoid carrying or holding children while you are drinking a hot beverage.

Burns from Household Appliances

  • Turn pot handles towards the centre of the stove.
  •  Keep cords for electrical appliances such as deep fryers, kettles, steam irons and toasters out of the reach of children.
  •  Supervise children near lamps with accessible hot light bulbs.
  •  Store items that interest children, such as cookies, away from the immediate area around the kitchen stove.
  •  Keep children away from stationary and portable heaters.

Lighters and Matches

Every year hundreds of fires are started by children playing with lighters or matches.  Many of these fires are caused by children under the age of five.  Children as young as 18 months have caused fires by operating lighters.  Disposable lighters sold by retailers must be child-resistant, but remember, child-resistant does not mean childproof. Store lighters out of sight and out of  the reach of children and do not remove the child safety devices from the lighter. Remember to:

  • Teach children that lighters and matches are not toys.
  •  Instruct young children to tell an adult if they find lighters or matches.
  • Set a good example: always use lighters and matches responsibly.
  • Install and maintain smoke alarms.
  • Supervise your children’s play.

Source: Fire Prevention Canada

3 Minute Drill

MODERN HOUSES BURN FASTER

Public encouraged to visit www.3minutedrill.alberta.ca

Research over three decades has shown that modern homes may be making house fires more deadly than ever before.

Newer homes and furnishings are made with more synthetics which make fires ignite and burn faster. They also release more toxic gases when burned. Most fire victims die from smoke or toxic gases and not from actual burns. Deadly conditions are reached much more quickly now than in the 1970s when more natural materials were used in home and furnishings.

Over thirty years ago, an important study conducted tests in actual homes with sizes and floor plans, furniture and items, and smoke alarms on the market. That report concluded smoke alarms generally provided the necessary escape time for different fire types and locations. This research led to the popular use of smoke alarms in residential settings.

A more recent 2005 study found a troubling difference with the previous investigation. The amount of safe escape time was consistently shorter and the fire growth rates were faster. It is thought that synthetic materials currently found in homes contributed to this change. The study concluded that because fires could be more aggressive, the time needed to escape home fires has been reduced from approximately 17 minutes to as little as three minutes.

This gives less time for occupants to escape a fire and is shorter than the seven minute response time target for fire services. This disparity can mean the difference between life and death.

In May 2008, Alberta Municipal Affairs launched a public education and awareness campaign to make citizens aware of the three-minute window of safety in a house fire and the seven minute fire services response time. In rural areas served by volunteer fire departments, the response times can be expected to be longer than the seven minutes expected of career fire departments. The public is encouraged to plan for a three-minute evacuation in case of a fire.

The campaign serves as a reminder of our personal responsibility for fire safety: the prevention of fires in the first place; the detection of smoke and fire with working smoke alarms as a second line of defense; and evacuation to safety by having a well-rehearsed fire escape plan as the third and most important action. The TV commercial is designed to motivate the public to visit a unique, interactive website, www.3minutedrill.alberta.ca This site contains easily understood fire prevention and safety tips using a model house in cross-section. In addition, it provides smoke alarm and escape planning information.

(With permission from the Alberta Fire Commissioner’s Office)

Source: Fire Prevention Canada