Tips for Preventing Burn Injuries in the Home

By The Husband and Wife Law Team on September 12, 2011

The Arizona Department of Health Services reports that Arizona’s injury rate “exceeds the national average in most major categories.” Although burns rank fifth among all causes of unintentional injury and death in Arizona, they rank third for children ages 1 to 14. Native Americans, rural residents, children, elderly adults and residents living in poverty are at an increased risk of sustaining burn injuries.

Arizona residents should educate themselves about how to prevent some of the most common injuries, particularly burns that occur in the home. Proper prevention tactics can prevent unnecessary deaths and reduce the risk of injuries.

Bathing Children

• Never put a child in a bath without testing the water temperature. Use your wrist to determine if the water is too hot.
• Keep the water heater at 120 degrees F to prevent scalding.
• Install anti-scaled devices in all bathrooms if you have young children.

Flammable Items

• Do not allow children to access lighters, matches, lighter fluid, gasoline and other flammable items.
• Do not leave a burning candle unattended. If you have young children, place burning candles on high shelves or counters.
• Unplug hot hair styling tools when not in use.

Cooking

• Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove.
• Cook on back burners when possible.
• Keep all hot foods away from children by putting them on the backs of counters.
• Keep young children away from the microwave.
• Avoid putting baby bottles in the microwave.
• Test the temperature of all foods before feeding them to children.

Even when you take all of these precautions, you cannot always prevent burns and scalds from occurring. If you purchase a faulty product or have electrical work done by a contractor who does not have the right credentials, you could experience a house fire or other related accidents. If you or a loved one experienced a burn due to someone else’s negligence, contact the Phoenix burn injury attorneys at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. We have a track record of success when it comes to handling fire, smoke and burn cases. For a free consultation, call us at (602) 457-6222.