This Week's Tip #15:  Keep your kids safe from chemical burns.

For 15 weeks, we've told you how to protect your family and yourself from potential burns, but one of the most common and often overlooked types of burns are chemical.  Every day we use products in our home, on our bodies, in our cars and at our jobs that can be potentially hazardous.  Because we use these products every day, we often times are careless with them.  It's that nonchalance that leads to misuse and serious consequences.  Some of the most common culprits of chemical burns are household cleaning or even personal care products.  Burns can occur topically, or on the skin…or we experience chemical burns internally – specifically from inhalation of fumes or accidental exposure from products improperly stored.

To make sure that your family is safe from accidental exposure to burns, secure all chemicals, in and out of the home, in locked cabinets or out of the reach of children.  When you use chemicals, always follow directions and safety precautions on the label provided by the manufacturer.  Wear safety clothing and eye protection, and remember—safety first!  The first step in burn prevention is education and preparation.  For more information about burns, or for burn treatment, visit Shriners Hospitals for Children.

This Week's Tip #14 Own and know how to operate a fire extinguisher

Fires are unpredictable, being prepared is the only way to be able to handle one. Owning a fire extinguisher will help eliminate the threat of a small fire growing and burning down the house. Every home should own a basic fire extinguisher, and it should be kept where everyone knows where it is. Make sure it is somewhere with easy access like a closet or under the sink. Everyone in the house should also know how to operate the fire extinguisher.   An easy way to remember how to operate a fire Extinguisher is PASS.

P-Pull  the pin.

A-Aim the nozzle or hose at the base of the fire.

S-Squeeze the operating lever to release the agent.

S-Sweep the nozzle side to side until the fire is out

 And remember to check that the extinguisher is properly charged once a year.  Use this tip to keep your family safe with a fire extinguisher.

This Week's Tip #13 Use space heaters with care

Space heaters can be very convenient heaters to supplement for heat and can be energy savers. But space heaters, if not used correctly or cared for properly, can be dangerous.

• Make sure the model you choose has a "tip switch", that will shut it off if it is knocked over or falls.
• Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from any curtains, bedding or furniture.
• Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off when you're leaving a room or going to sleep, and don't let pets or children play too close to a space heater.
• Space heaters are designed to provide small amounts of warm air. They aren't bed warmers, cookers or clothes dryers.  Those materials will catch on fire. Never try to use them for anything other than helping
• Ensure there is a guard around the heating element, so fingers can't get burned.
• Never put a space heater on a rug that could catch fire, put it on a hard level surface.

Space heaters can be great instruments if used wisely and if cared for properly.

This Week's Tip #12  Clean your fireplace

Fire places are great for comfort warmth and relaxation in the cold months. But if not maintained correctly, a fireplace can be dangerous for you and your children. Have the chimney inspected annually, and cleaned as necessary, by a professional chimney sweep to ensure it’s clear of obstructions and creosote.

• Have a cap installed at the top of the chimney to avoid the possibility that debris or animals can block the chimney.
• Install both a smoke and carbon monoxide detector. (Make sure the batteries work.)
• Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
• Make sure the area around the fireplace is clear of furniture, books, newspapers and other potentially flammable materials. (Two feet away is a good rule.)

Have your fireplace cleaned in the summer to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable winter! 

This Week's Tip #11 Don't let children play with fireworks

How do you keep your kids safe?

The best way to keep your kids safe is to remove the temptation – do not let them have fireworks.  Leave fireworks to the adults.  Sparklers – long considered "safe" for little ones – have been known to catch clothing on fire, and should only be used while under direct adult supervision.

This Week's Tip #10 Keep electrical cords out of reach

Electrical cords are simple and effective devices that allow electricity to flow from a source (your outlet) to your electrical device.  Even though we use this method every day in hundreds of ways, the simplest things can lead to catastrophic harm to your child if the devices are not treated properly.  Here are some simple tips that are easily implemented:

• Cords need to be kept out of high traffic so that no one can trip over them .
• Cords should be kept out of the reach of children so they won't pull an appliance down on top of them.
• Electrical cords that are frayed or cut should be immediately disposed of!  One touch of a bare wire could result in electrocution.
• Make sure to keep cords organized and not to overload power strips.  Overloaded outlets are a leading fire hazard in the home.

Electric cords are a simple effective part of our everyday lives.  They allow us to provide electricity to all the devices that make our lives more enjoyable.  As with most things that we use every day, it's easy to overlook the possible dangers.  Don't let your family become a statistic!  Keep your family safe from harm by checking your electric cords and observing these simple tips.

This Week's Tip #9 Have a home safety escape plan

In 2007, there were nearly  400,000 reported home structure fires and 2,865 associated deaths in the United States.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, only 23% of homes actually have a home escape plan. Here is what we suggest:

• Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan.  Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes.  Draw a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.  Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm.
• Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbor's house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they've escaped.  Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.
• Go outside to see if your street number is clearly visible from the road.  If not, paint it on the curb or install house numbers to ensure that responding emergency personnel can find your home.
• If there are infants, older adults, or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill and in the event of an emergency.  Assign a backup person too, in case the designee is not home during the emergency.
• If windows or doors in your home have security bars, make sure that the bars have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened immediately in an emergency.  Emergency release devices won't compromise your security - but they will increase your chances of safely escaping a home fire.
• Once you're out, stay out!  Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building.  If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.

This Week's Tip #8 Store all matches and lighters up high, out of children's reach

Ever since the first person discovered fire, it seems that man has had an incredible fascination with it. Children seem to take that fascination to the next level. Their inquisitive nature drives them to try to set things on fire and watch them burn.  Annually, children playing with fire start an estimated 14,500 structure fires, resulting in 130 deaths, 810 injuries and $328 million in property damage.  The items ignited by children playing with matches are usually mattresses, bedding or clothing.

What's the simplest and cheapest way to prevent your children from getting burned? Take the matches and lighters and put them up high out of the child's reach, preferably in a pantry or shelf. Make sure there is some kind of door or covering to prevent the matches or lighters from falling to the ground. Never use lighters or matches as a source of amusement for children; they may imitate you.  It also helps to sit down with your child and explain how fire is a tool and not a toy, and explain the real dangers to them.

This Week's Tip #7: Use covers on electrical outlets

Let’s face it, children are inquisitive. They want to touch, feel, and get hold of everything. Most electrical outlets are installed near or at a child’s eye level, so it's just natural that an inquisitive child will interact with them in some way. If a child manages to stick something metal into an outlet, it can cause the current to pass through the heart, which can cause cardiac arrest. A simple solution to avoid this risk is to install plastic slide-in covers. Normally covers cost about $5 for a pack of 20 or more. Install them into every unused outlet to prevent a child from electrocuting themselves. What have you got to lose? Five dollars is all it takes to save your child’s life from electrocution

This Week's Tip #6: Never allow horseplay around the grill

It's getting to be that time of the year again, time for beach trips, golfing, and barbeques. Before you light up the fire and get to work on your t-bones and sirloins, make sure to set some boundaries with the little ones.  Approximately 9,600 people go to hospital emergency rooms every year because of thermal burns caused by grills. Children under five accounted for roughly one-quarter of thermal grill burns. Most of these burns occurred when the child bumped or touched the grill.

The National Fire Protection Association offers these tips:

1.       Use propane and charcoal grills in outdoor areas only.

2.       Make sure the grill is located well away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.

3.       Keep children and pets away from the grill area: declare a three foot "kid-free zone" around the grill.

4.       Use long-handled grilling tools to give plenty of clearance from heat and flames.

5.       Remove grease or fat build up from the grills and in trays below the grill so it cannot ignite.

6.       Never leave the grill unattended.

Make your summer barbeques fun and safe, enjoy the summer!

This Week's Tip #5:  Lower your Water Heater to 120˚

Everybody loves a hot shower or a nice, long soak in a hot tub.  But just how hot is too hot?  Did you know that temperatures higher than 125° can burn a child or an adult severely and quickly?  It only two seconds of exposure to water at 150° and only six seconds of exposure to water at 140° to cause a child significant burns (second or third degree). 

Reducing your water temperature to 120˚ will not only protect you and your loved ones from burns, it will save you money!  For every 10˚ that you decrease the water heater thermostat, you save approximately 4% in yearly cost.  So if you lower your thermostat from the typical 140˚ to the safer 120˚, you can save 8% over the course of a year.  Not only that, but your water heater will function better because the lower temperature slows mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes.

So, what have you got to lose?  You'll save your family from burns and you'll have extra cash to burn a hole in your pocket!

This Week's Tip #4:  Be Careful with Your Iron.

People have been intent on smoothing their clothing many years.  After using different devices in various ways, the first electric iron was invented in 1882, and continues to be a staple appliance in most homes.  While irons are commonplace, they still present one of the most dangerous situations in any household.  Every year, thousands of burn injuries are the result of clothing irons.  Most of these accidents involve children under the age of three.

Did you know that a household clothing iron can reach temperatures of 425˚?  More shocking is that an iron can remain in the burn danger zone (more than 120˚) for up to 90 minutes AFTER it has been unplugged!  That's a lot of heat and a lot of time for a potential accident.  A hot iron left on an unstable ironing board is an invitation for disaster.  A curious toddler may pull an electrical cord, or try to steady themselves using the precarious ironing board causing the appliance to fall on top of them.  Many people use their irons on the floor or on top of the bed where little ones can more easily reach and sustain injuries.

The answer?:

• Use an iron on an ironing board (because it's too high for a toddler to reach)
• Never leave an iron unattended
• Unplug the iron when not in use (and store the cord out of reach)
• Allow the iron to cool in an area inaccessible by little hands (the stove top is a good place)

These same rules apply to your curling irons, flat-irons and straightening combs, too.  If you follow these simple rules, you won't press your luck with a burn injury.

This Week's Tip #3:
Things that we do every day become routine to us, and cooking is no exception.   Because we view cooking with a sense of the mundane, sometimes it's easy to overlook the fact that it is actually one of the most dangerous activities that happen in the household.  According to the Home Safety Council's State of Home Safety in America™ Report, fires and burns are the third leading cause of unintentional home injury and related deaths. Fire safety and survival begin with everyone in your household being prepared.   

One of the simplest things to do is also one of the best preventative measures you can take.  Use the back burners on your stovetop first.  Because they are farther back, it means that little hands are less likely to reach up and touch something that can burn their fingers.  Turn the pot handles in toward the center of the stovetop.  Handles that are intentionally moved inward are less likely to be caught by sleeves, hands or falling objects.  And again, little hands can't reach up and grab them.

While you're at it, remember to always stay in the kitchen while you are cooking.  Keep things that can burn, such as dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, and curtains at least three feet away from the range top.  Before cooking, roll up your sleeves and use oven mitts.  Loose-fitting clothes can touch a hot burner and catch on fire.

Cooking is an activity that the whole family can share, and with these helpful tips, you can enjoy the spoils and avoid the spills!

This Week'sTip #2:  Check Your Smoke Detectors at least Once a Year.

Most fire fatalities occur between 2am and 6am—when people are asleep and their natural "fire sensing equipment" is least effective. Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke may not awaken a sleeping person. These deaths are caused by the inhalation of poisonous gases or smoke, which reach victims before the flames. Many suffocate without ever waking or even becoming aware of the fire. They die because they had no warning.

For the minimal cost of $5 - $15 you could save the lives of your entire family.  A smoke detector can sense a fire and sound an alarm while there is time to safely escape.  By giving you time to get out of your home before flames are overwhelming, smoke alarms cut your risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half.  What good is a life-saving device if you don't change a $1 battery? 

Smoke detectors are relatively simple to maintain. Manufacturers recommend that the unit be tested once a week by pressing the test button on the device. A common tip for maintenance is to CHANGE YOUR BATTERY WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS for DAYLIGHT SAVINGS. When you replace the battery, use a vacuum cleaner to pull any dirt, dust or debris that may be found underneath the detector cover.

Replace the battery every year in all battery operated smoke detectors. (The detector is designed to emit short "beeps" with increasing frequency when the battery is losing power).  So since we just "sprang forward," if you haven't changed the batteries in your smoke detectors already, do it now!  You and your family will be able to sleep soundly knowing they're safe from fire.

This Week's Tip #1:  Keep gas containers away from open flames

When my cousin was a little boy, he and his friend were playing out in the garage.  My uncle's motorcycle was a favorite source of imaginative play for them.  In an attempt to see if the vehicle had fuel in the tank, they shook the bike but didn't hear any sloshing of fluid.  So the boys devised to use a match to look into the tank.  My cousin, 6-years-old at the time, opened the cap and struck the match.  He was immediately engulfed in flames as the fumes ignited in his face.  He was badly burned and had to spend weeks in the Shriners Hospital for Children, but thankfully recovered.  Today, there is no outward evidence of his encounter, but he was very lucky.  This isn't the case for most people who break tip #1.

Gasoline is commonplace for most of us, and as a result, we tend to treat it with nonchalance.  We forget the powerful, combustible properties of this amazing fuel source.  We transport it carelessly and store it haphazardly in containers not suitable for such a volatile element.  Knowing how to treat and store gasoline can protect you and your loved ones from devastating consequences like the ones of teenager, Austin Bailiff.  Warning:  This video contains images that may not be suitable for all viewers.  Discretion is advised.

Tips Regarding Use of Portable Gas Containers

• Use only containers that have been listed, labeled or approved for gasoline.
• Do not dispense gasoline into a portable gasoline container while it is located inside a vehicle, trunk or pick-up truck bed. Make sure that the container is stable and positioned on the concrete, asphalt or ground prior to dispensing gasoline.
• When placing the gasoline container on the ground surface, make sure it is positioned away from other vehicles, people and moving traffic.
• Use caution when dispensing gasoline from the nozzle. Make sure the nozzle remains in the gasoline container until the dispensing is complete.
• Avoid using nozzle latch, or hold-open devices when filling a gasoline container.
• Do not smoke when dispensing gasoline into containers.
• Avoid use of cell phones when dispensing gasoline.

The following points should be kept in mind when storing gasoline:

• First, never store gasoline in the house! Always store the container away from a house and from any other habitable structure.
• Always store the container in a cool, well-ventilated area. Keep it away from any source of heat or sparks, such as a water heater, electric motor, or car engine.
• Never use gasoline or other flammable liquids around a flame source.
• When not in use, keep gasoline containers locked up at all times.
• Store gasoline in approved, properly labeled safety containers.
• Store only the minimum amount of gasoline needed (usually no more than one gallon).
• Have a Class B type fire extinguisher located near gasoline storage areas. (Type B fire extinguishers, which are specially designed to extinguish gasoline fires, may be purchased at local hardware stores. Be sure to read and follow the manufacturer's instructions.)
• Always keep gasoline out of the reach of children.
• Use gasoline and flammable liquids outdoors, in well-ventilated area, for their intended purpose only.
• Never use glass or plastic bottles for gasoline storage. These can be easily mistaken for other less harmful liquids, which could result in them being ingested (swallowed) accidentally.

Learn more about our partnership with Shriners Hospitals for Children.