National Burn Injury Awareness Day
Mon, October 17, 2016
A burn injury is for life. The scars are physical as well as psychological and can present life‐long challenges. Many are as a result of an accident that could so easily have been prevented.
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council wants to highlight the issue ahead of National Burn Injury Awareness Day, which takes place on Wednesday, October 19th.
The Mayor, Alderman Maura Hickey, said: “As a Council we fully support this awareness raising campaign. We should all take steps to prevent accidental burns from happening, particularly to children and the elderly. There are lots of potential dangers in the home, and making some simple changes could make a big difference.”
Jackie Barr from Council’s Environmental Health department said: “Hot drinks are the most common cause of scald injury in children but electric cookers, hair straighteners, irons, bath water and central heating radiators are all potential dangers as well.
“If an accident happens, remember: COOL the burn with running tap water, CALL for help, and COVER with cling film; and if your clothes are on fire, STOP, DROP and ROLL.”
Some alarming facts and figures about the burns and scalds that are happening every day:
• Hot drinks are the most common cause of scald injury in children – followed by contact with electric cookers, hair straighteners, irons and central heating radiators.
• 288 children a month require admission to an NHS Burns Service following injury with hot liquids (this figure only relates to the more serious scalds ‐ it does not include the thousands seen by A&E departments)
• Sunburn is a notable cause of injury in the 5 – 14 year age group.
In the over 65s the pattern of injury is similar to that for children – but with a greater number of central heating radiator contact injuries and too hot bathing immersions.
• The average cost to the NHS for a major burn is £168,155 – but what is the cost to the individual and their family?
• 5,195 children under the age of 5 were so badly burnt that they had to be admitted to a NHS specialist burns service in 2014 – more than 14 toddlers every single day.
• Hair straighteners reach over 220°c and take up to 40 minutes to cool down – more than 250 children a year are treated for severe burns from them.
A significant number of adult injuries resulted from hot fat, barbecues, garden fires and bonfires.
• The majority of injuries, especially to children and the elderly occur between 3pm and 6pm.
• The most common place of injury is the home for children (77%) and the elderly (81%). For adults, it’s the workplace.
• There is a clearly defined relationship between high rates of burn injuries and areas of social deprivation.
All statistics provided by the international Burn Injury Database (iBID)
