Burns Injury

Key Safety Messages:

- Hot water burns like fire - Always keep hot drinks out of the reach of children.

- Never drink hot liquids while holding a child.

- Set your hot water temperature so it is 50-55° Celsius at the tap.

- Clothing burns, please make sure your kids are always a metre from the heater.

- Use smoke alarms.

- BURN FIRST AID - Cool the burn under cold running water for AT LEAST 20 MINUTES as soon as possible.

On average there are six children each year that die from burn injuries in New Zealand, and every day a child is burned severely enough to be admitted into hospital. Burns are a leading cause of injury for young children. Of 1 to 2 year olds admitted to hospital due to severe burns, over half are caused by spilt hot drinks (tea and coffee) and other liquids.

Safekids focuses on preventing four key burns-contributing factors: Spilled hot drinks and food; Fire in the kitchen and the home; Flammable clothing; and Hot tap water temperatures.

For other Key Messages on this injury issue, click here.

Click the links below to access useful burns injury information, resources and prevention advice.

Factsheet

Childhood Burn Injury (PDF. Updated April 2010).

Resources

Loving our Children: Safer Homes Burns Prevention Flipchart (PDF, 1MB, can be printed up to A3, 2010). For a Higher Resolution Copy, email campaign@safekids.org.nz.
Loving our Children: Safer Homes Burns Prevention Practitioner's Guide (Pdf. 2010).
Fancy A Cuppa? Burns Prevention & First Aid Flier (A5, English, Pdf. 2008).
Fancy A Cuppa? Burns Prevention & First Aid Flier (A5, Maori, Pdf. 2008).
Be Burn & Firewise Checklist (English, Pdf. 2004).
Be Burn & Firewise Checklist (Maori, Pdf. 2004).
Be Burn & Firewise Checklist (Samoan, Pdf. 2004).
Be Burn & Firewise Checklist (Tongan, Pdf. 2004).
Be Burn & Firewise Checklist (Chinese, Pdf. 2004)

If you are a Safekids Coalition member and would like to order resources, email campaign@safekids.org.nz.

Project Plans

Starters & Strategies "Hot Water burns Like Fire" School Project Plan (Multi level activity, PDF, March 2011)
Fancy a Cuppa Burns Prevention Project Plans (April 2010).
Burns Support Charitable Trust "Starters & Strategies" Project Plan (for years 1-3, 2008).

Media Releases

Media Release "Fancy A Cuppa" Hot Water Burns Prevention this Autumn/Winter (April 2011).
Community Group Highlight ‘HOT CUPPA’ Horrors (Coalition Media Release TEMPLATE, MSWord, April 2010)
Have a Safe Christmas & Summer, Perfect Gift Ideas Media Release (Nov 2009)
Media Release "New Fire Label" (April 2009).
Media Release "Waitangi Day Summer BBQ" (January 2009).
Media Release "Guy Fawkes" (November 2008).

Presentation

Information & Planning Days Workshop 2010. By Julie Chambers, delivered at Safekids workshops introducing the 2010/2011 campaign themes.

Reports

NEW! Keeping kids safe at home, at play and on the road. Safekids CAMPAIGN REPORT 2010/2011 (See 'Reports' January 2012)

Links

For more burns resources and information, visit www.fire.org.nz or www.burns.org.nz. For links to New Zealand and international websites relating to this injury topic, go to our links page.

This page was last updated Fenruary 2, 2012.