Victorian Firefighters joined forces with the Alfred hospital in Melbourne to mark the end of Burns Awareness Month and remind families not to take a break from fire safety around the home during the school holidays.
Chief Officer of the Country Fire Authority, Jason Heffernan said Burns Awareness Month, held in June, was a timely reminder to take extra precautions while children were around to prevent serious burns or devastating house fires.
“While burns hazards and fire hazards can be different, we can help prevent either tragedy occurring by following some simple steps,” CO Heffernan said.
“Always supervise children in the kitchen, keep them away from the stove and oven, and keep saucepan handles turned in,” he said.
“When it comes to fireplaces, make sure you have a properly fitted fire screen.”
CO Heffernan said matches should be stored safely out of reach of children and kids should never be left alone near candles.
He said people should also ensure nothing was left within a metre of portable heaters and that powered electrical appliances like hairdryers and laptops weren’t left on soft surfaces.
Burns Nurse Practitioner with Alfred Health, Hana Menezes said 3,367 people were admitted to a burns service across Australia last financial year.
“Unfortunately, we’ve been seeing this number increase steadily over the years and it’s a trend we need to turn around,” Ms Menezes said.
“Winter is just as dangerous as summer when it comes to potential burns; scalds, cooking-related incidents and burns from winter warmers such as hot water bottles all rise during these months,” she said.
Ms Menezes said people should replace old or worn items such as hot water bottles and cooking equipment and always remain vigilant around hot oils and surfaces.
“A burn is an injury with life-long ramifications,” she said.
“It’s well worth taking a few moments to ensure it doesn’t happen to you.”
