A Fire Safety Guide To Treating Burns and Scalds

Firstly let’s look at what a burn is:

The Oxford dictionary defines a burns as: “to be hurt, damaged or destroyed by fire or extreme heat”

When human skin or limbs come in contact with extreme heat or fire they react similar to how a tree branch would to the same conditions. During the first five minutes the thin outer layer of your skin fries and begins to peel as the flames sit on the surface. After the first 5 thicker layers of skin shrinks and splits and the inner fat is revealed which acts as a great fuel source. Understandably this is quite extreme and confronting, however people do need to understand just how dangerous a fire can be.

By immediately using appropriate first aid to treat the affected area you will limit the amount of damage that is done to the skin. The severity of the burn can differ based on a number of factors e.g. where, age, depth, size and cause of the burn.

Burns and scalds – first aid, treatments, and prevention

Depending on the severity of the burn you don’t necessarily need a first aid kit however here at FireSafe we strongly recommend for one to be installed but what you defiantly need when dealing with a burn or scald is common sense and basic first aid:

Step 1: Move away from the heat source

Step 2: Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burn area however if anything has stuck to the skin do not remove it but seek medical attention

Step 3: Cool the area as soon as possible, do not use anything that can retain heat. Please note most old wive tales do more harm than good.

Step 4: Run under a tap for 10 minutes, if you can’t find water use any cold harmless liquid

Step 5: Cover the burn with a sterile dressing that doesn’t stick (e.g gladwrap). Makes sure you dispose of the first 60 centimeters of the roll to ensure it is germ free.

Step 6: If the burn is larger than one inch or a child or elderly person is burnt  seek urgent medical attention