What is more convenient and cozy than a gas fireplace in your home? However, did you know that the glass doors on a gas fireplace present a serious burn risk? The glass can reach temperatures as high as 1300 degrees Fahrenheit!
Toddlers are especially vulnerable to serious burns from touching the glass. It only takes a moment.
A safety screen in front of your gas fire place prevents burns.
Every year Harborview Hospital sees little hands burned from toddlers touching the glass of a gas fireplace. A toddler losing his or her balance is a frequent means of coming in contact with the glass. A safety screen placed in front of the glass doors is an easy solution to prevent this from happening.
The theme for the National Burn Awareness week is “Hot Surfaces Damage Skin!” Contact burns send close to 70,000 people in the US to the hospital each year. One-third of patients are children under the age of 5
Here are a few safety tips to prevent contact burns:
- Use a fireplace screen in front of the glass on a gas fireplace
- Use back burners of the stove when cooking to prevent children from reaching a hot pot or pan
- Keep hot objects, including hair curlers and hot drinks out of the reach of children
- Teach young children not to touch hot items
- Create a 3-foot away rule from hot items such as a stove, portable heater or barbecue grill
- Turn heating pads and blankets off before going to sleep
- Limit microwave use by children
To treat a burn:
- Remove person from heat source
- Cool the burn with cool water for at least 10 minutes. Do not apply ice to the burn
- Remove jewelry or other tight items
- Apply a dry non-stick sterilized bandage
For more information on burns, visit the American Burn Association website.