Burn Awareness

Each year, over 486,000 burn injuries occur in the United States that are serious enough to require medical treatment.

An estimated 376,950 scald burn injuries were seen in hospital emergency rooms in the U.S. between 2013 and 2017.

Tips to Stay Safe

  • Set your water heater at 120 degrees F/48 degrees C or just below the medium setting.
  • Use a thermometer to test the water coming out of your bath water tap.
  • Run your hand through bath water to test for hot spots.
  • Use back burners and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so children cannot pull them down.
  • Use oven mitts when cooking or handling hot food and drinks.
  • Stir and test food cooked in the microwave before serving. Open heated containers away from you from back to front.
  • Keep children away from the stove when cooking by using a safety gate for younger children and marking with tape a 3-foot “no-kid zone” for older children.
  • Keep hot drinks away from the edge of tables and counters and avoid using tablecloths and placemats.
  • Use a “travel mug” with a tight-fitting lid for all hot drinks.
  • Never hold or carry a child while you have a hot drink in your hand.

Source: American Burn Association http://ameriburn.org/index.php and http://flashsplash.org

For more tips and preparedness information:

On Twitter:         @READYColorado
Facebook:           www.facebook.com/READYColorado
YouTube:             www.youtube.com/readycolorado

READYColorado is Colorado's official public service campaign designed to educate and empower community members of all walks to prepare for and respond to emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. The program strives to engage the public, educate and, ultimately, increase the level of basic preparedness across the state. READYColorado began as a small awareness campaign funded by the as the Denver Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) in 2005, and by 2011 transitioned to the State of Colorado where it is currently managed by the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM), specifically, the Office of Preparedness.

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