Regional Burn Center at Lutheran Shares Kitchen Burn Prevention & Safety Tips
2/10/2022
The team at the Regional Burn Center at Lutheran Hospital is reminding the community that kitchen safety is key to burn prevention.
The kitchen is one of the most common places a burn will occur from things like grease splatters, scalds and contact burns, and cooking accidents are often the cause of burn injuries in children treated by the Regional Burn Center at Lutheran Hospital. Safety and prevention in the kitchen is key for all ages but especially young children.
“Small children and cooking just don’t mix well,” said James Kraatz, M.D., surgeon with the Regional Burn Center at Lutheran Hospital. “Almost all childhood cooking injuries result from hot food being pulled off of stoves, out of microwaves or off of tables by curious and typically unsupervised children, many of whom are just trying to be helpful.”
Dr. Kraatz and the Regional Burn Center team recommend the following kitchen safety tips to avoid burns at all ages:
- Never leave children unattended in the kitchen.
- Turn pot or pan handles toward the back or side of the stove to prevent it coming into contact with you or a child pulling it down.
- Keep hot cups, pans and dishes out of children’s reach and site, and never hold a child while you’re cooking, drinking or carrying hot liquids or foods.
- Wear short or close-fitting sleeves and keep a pan lid and dry potholders or oven mitts nearby when cooking.
- Use microwave-safe cookware that allows steam to escape when heating food in the microwave. Allow food to rest before removing it and always use potholders or oven mitts.
- Use a pan lid or splash guard when frying to prevent grease splatter, and wipe the stove, oven and exhaust fan clean each time to prevent grease buildup.
- Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling food. Turn off the stove or appliance if you need to leave the kitchen.
- If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly. Remain nearby while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you to check it.
- After cooking, double-check the kitchen to make sure all burners and other appliances are turned off.
If a burn occurs, be sure to call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance if:
- The victim has a severe or extensive burn
- The victim has a chemical or electrical burn
- The victim shows signs of shock
- The victim has an airway burn
Most minor burn wounds can be treated at home. A minor burn is a first-degree burn anywhere on the body that affects the outer layer of skin and causes pain, redness or swelling; or a second-degree burn two to three inches or smaller in size, which affects both the outer and underlying layer of skin and causes pain, redness, swelling and blistering.
Follow the steps below to clean burn wounds as quickly as possible after an injury occurs and avoid the risk of infection and scarring and assist with healing:
- Wash hands with soap and water
- Wear medical gloves if available
- Rinse the wound thoroughly with lukewarm running tap water to help remove dirt, debris and bacteria (kitchen sprayers work well)Gently wash wound with mild soap & a washcloth
- Repeat washing until wound is clean
- Bandage wound, lightly applying antibiotic ointment first to keep bandage from sticking to the wound
- Watch skin around wound for sensitivity to bandage and warmth or redness from infection
- Apply clean bandage if current bandage becomes soiled or wet
- Change bandage at least twice a day
- Wounds that are deep, large, painful, bleed excessively and/or have large fragments of debris in them should be cleaned and treated by healthcare professionals
For all other burn-related questions, call the Lutheran Regional Burn Center at (260) 435-4730.
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