Burns and Scalds
Here are some guidelines on how to protect your child from burns and scalds and what to do in an emergency. Further information on safety in the home, preventing burns and scalds and firework safety can be obtained from the Child Accident Prevention Trust's website www.capt.org.uk

How safe is your child from burns and scalds?
Every year over 41,000 children under the age of 14 go to hospital because of home accidents involving burns and scalds. The vast majority of these are under five years old. Cooking, eating or kitchen equipment along with food and drink account for nearly half of burns injuries that occur in the home. A few simple safety measures can help to make your home a safer place for children.

In the home - general safety tips
- Fit a smoke alarm on each floor and maintain it properly. The chances of surviving a fire when you are asleep are almost zero if you don't have a working smoke alarm.
- Shut all doors at night - in the event of a fire this helps to hold it back and stop it spreading.
- Do a safety check each night. Always put out candles and switch off electrical appliances where possible.
- Prepare an escape plan with children and practice it regularly so they know exactly what to do in event of a fire.
- Never drink hot tea or coffee with a baby or young child on your lap and keep hot drinks out of their reach - hot liquid scalds up to 15 minutes after it has boiled.
- Fit fireguards to all fires and heaters and don't dry clothes or warm them up on the fireguard - clothes can easily catch fire.
- Store matches and lighters out of young children's sight and reach. Look for child resistant lighters when buying them.

In the kitchen
Teach children over the age of seven years to do simple tasks like using a toaster and microwave safely. As children grow up gradually teach them to pour from a kettle and use a cooker safely.
- Avoid having young children in the kitchen unless they are supervised.
- Keep young children away from the front of the over - the door can get very hot.
- Use a kettle with a short or curly flex.
- Turn saucepan handles towards the back of the cooker and use the back rings where possible.
- Never leave a chip pan unattended or fill the pan more than one third full ofoil. Use a thermostatically controlled deep pan fryer, if possible.
- Avoid warming babies bottles in the microwave, the milk may heat up unevenly leaving 'spots' of very hot milk which can scald a baby's mouth.
- Keep a British Standard approved fire blanket nearby.

In the bathroom
- Never leave a baby or young child alone in the bath - even for a moment.
- The water from your hot tap should not exceed 46 C to avoid scalding young children.
- Always put cold water into a bath first, then add hot water and test the water with your elbow before a child uses it.

In the garden or yard
- Keep children away from barbeques, bonfires and fireworks.

In an emergency
If a child has a burn or scald:
- Cool the burn immediately under cold water tap for at least 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, remove clothing from the burned area, If material is sticking to the skin, cut around the fabric.
- If is still hurts cool again under cold water.
- Don't touch the burn or burst any blisters as this can cause infection.
- Cover the burn with clean, non-fluffy material to prevent infection, cling film is ideal.
- Get advice from a doctor or accident and emergency department at your local hospital.

Safety with Sparklers
Although last year there was an overall reduction in firework injuries, hospitals still treated over 200 young children under five with various injuries caused by fireworks and sparklers. The majority of these injuries were caused by sparklers.

Many parents still believe that sparklers are the safe option for young children. When lit sparklers can get six times as hot as a pan of cooking oil - with temperatures of up to 1000 degrees centigrade. Children's skin is much more sensitive than adults and burns will be a lot more sever for them. Children under five are too young to be allowed anywhere near fireworks and this includes sparklers. Older children need to learn how to use sparklers safely to avoid being burnt.

Children under five
- Never give sparklers to under fives
- Never hold a baby or child if you have a sparkler in your hand
- Always supervise young children closely

All children
- Supervise all children carefully
- Always light sparklers one at a time
- Show older children how to hold sparklers safely - away from their bodies at arm's length and teach them not to wave them at other people or run while holding them
- Avoid dressing children in loose or flowing clothes that could catch alight easily, and give children gloves to wear when they are holding sparklers
- Sparklers stay hot long after they've gone out. Once finished, plunge them hot end down into a bucket of soil or water
- Steer clear of alcohol if you're running a display or looking after children

A smoke alarm could save your life
A fire strikes when you least expect it, often during the night. A smoke alarm is an early warning system which warns you almost as soon as a fire starts, giving you time to alert everybody and escape. Modern smoke alarms are not expensive. They are easy to install and look after. Although 80% of homes now have smoke alarms, fire statistics show that many of these alarms are not functioning properly. If you don't have a correctly operating smoke alarm in your home you are putting your own life at risk, as well as the life of anyone who lives with you. The more alarms you have around your home the safer you will be. Don't put off getting one any longer.

- Fit smoke alarms on each level of your home
- Do not put smoke alarms in the kitchen
- Check the battery once a week
- Replace the battery every twelve months
- Battery smoke alarm units should be changed every ten years
- Consider installing ten year smoke alarms or hard wired alarms.