Protect your child from burns
Burn safety is a foreign concept to most young explorers. One of the most difficult lessons young children learn is that some things—such as stoves, radiators and flickering flames—can be painfully hot. The threat can extend to the entire family if children play with matches or lighters.
Take precautions to prevent injuries and dangerous situations.
Burn safety at home
Many ordinary things in a home—including bath water, food and electrical outlets—can cause childhood burns.
- Reduce water temperature. Set the thermostat on your water heater below 48.9° C. Aim for bath water around 38° C. Check the bath water temperature with your hand before putting your child in the bath.
- Avoid hot spills. Don’t cook, drink, or carry hot beverages or foods while holding a child. Keep hot foods and liquids away from the table and counter edges. Don’t use tablecloths or placemats, which young children can pull down. Turn the handles of your pots and pans toward the rear of the stove, and use rear burners when possible. Don’t leave the stove unattended while cooking, even for a moment.
- Establish “no” zones. Block access to the stove, fireplace, space heaters and radiators. Don’t leave a child unattended in a room when these items are in use.
- Keep hot devices out of reach. Store items that get hot (clothes irons, curling irons) unplugged and out of reach.
- Test food temperature before feeding young children. Be careful with food or liquids warmed in a microwave, which might heat foods unevenly. Never warm a baby’s bottle in the microwave.
- Choose a cool-mist vaporizer. This type prevents steam burns.
- Look for exposed electrical outlets and unplugged cords. Cover unused electrical outlets with safety caps. Keep electrical cables and wires out of sight, so children (and pets) don’t pull on or chew on them. Replace frayed, broken or worn electrical cords.
- Choose fire-resistant fabrics. Check labels to make sure mattresses and pyjamas meet national flammability standards.
Burn safety outdoors
To protect children from outdoor hazards:
- Watch grills, fire pits and campfires. Never leave them unattended.
- Check car seats, hot seat belts or buckles before placing your child in the car. Cover the car seat with a towel or blanket if you park in direct sunlight.
- Avoid backyard fireworks. Don’t let children play with or near fireworks or sparklers.
Fire prevention
To prevent accidental fires:
- Hide matches and lighters. Store matches, lighters and ashtrays out of your child’s sight and reach or lock them in a cabinet.
- Be careful with candles. Keep burning candles out of reach of children, and extinguish candles before leaving the room.
- Take care of cigarettes. Don’t smoke in the house, especially in bed. If you do, use deep ashtrays. Empty them frequently and douse them with water before disposing of the ashes.
- Use space heaters wisely. Keep space heaters at least one meter away from bedding, drapes, furniture and other flammable materials. Never leave a space heater on when you go to sleep.
- Keep your fireplace clean. Inspect and clean a fireplace and chimney annually to prevent a fire.
- Store flammable materials. Store flammable liquids tightly sealed in original containers, out of reach of children and away from sources of heat or flames.
Never leave a room unattended when candles, fireplaces or heaters are in use.
Fire emergency plan
To prevent injury if a fire occurs:
- Install smoke alarms. Install at least one smoke alarm on each level of your home, inside and outside all sleeping areas. Clean alarms monthly and push the alarm button every month to ensure that they are working. Use long-life batteries or change them at least once a year. Replace smoke alarms that are more than ten years old. Hard-wired alarms are great, and those with battery backup are better in case of power failure.
- Learn to use a fire extinguisher. Keep a working fire extinguisher in your home. Place it high on a wall near an exit. Learn how to use the device properly.
- Teach children to stop, drop and roll. Stop immediately and don’t run; drop to the floor, cover your face with your hands, and roll on the floor to put out the flames. Teach children what to do if their clothes catch on fire.
- Practice an evacuation plan. Create an evacuation plan and practice it every six months. Determine two ways to exit each room and where to meet outside. Don’t use lockable doorknobs on a child’s bedroom door. Teach your children to leave a smoky area by crawling on the floor.