Monday, Feb. 6, marks the beginning of National Burn Awareness Week across the country. Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America (BRCA), the nation’s most extensive burn care system, is joining the cause and spreading educational materials, prevention tools and more to communities across the country.
Organized by the American Burn Association (ABA), the week is a “window of opportunity for organizations to mobilize burn, fire and life safety educators to unite in sharing a common burn awareness and prevention message in our communities.” This year’s theme is Burning Issues in the Kitchen.
According to the ABA, almost half of all home fires are caused by cooking. To help make sure you and your loved ones stay safe in the kitchen, here are some tips from BRCA:
- Before cooking, set up a three-foot safety zone/boundary by the oven and instruct all children not to go in that zone.
- Always stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stove or have food in the oven.
- Even with a safety zone around the oven, turn pot handles toward the back of the stove when cooking and out of reach of children.
- Consider investing in a kitchen fire extinguisher to have on hand in case of emergencies.
- Once you have finished cooking, make sure all appliances are turned off before leaving the kitchen unattended.
- When cooking, don’t wear loose or flowy-sleeved tops or outfits; keep all hand towels and potholders away from hot surfaces, gas stoves and more.
Across our system, our providers are available 24/7 to deliver patient-focused burn and wound care but taking preventive measures can help you avoid an injury. For more tips on cooking safety, visit Safety Archives – Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America (burncenters.com).
For more information about Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America, contact Christina Maraone, VP of Marketing, at [email protected] or call 855-863-9595.
ABOUT BURN AND RECONSTRUCTIVE CENTERS OF AMERICA
Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America is the largest system of burn care in the United States. Each year, our physicians and advanced practice providers treat patients of all ages for a wide range of injuries, including thermal, chemical and electrical burns, skin and soft tissue disorders, complex wounds and traumatic extremity injuries. For more information, visit our website at burncenters.com or our social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.