Pennsylvania Burn Injury Attorney Advice - Common Causes of Burns and How to Avoid Them

Burn injuries can be serious, life threatening experiences. In order to prevent these tragic events and to hold those accountable for the injuries responsible, it is important to understand what causes burn injuries. Burns can be caused by many different things ranging from chemicals to the sun and from electricity to a fire. Burns are painful.

Building Fires
Building fires are what many of us think of when we think of burn injuries. The fires can start from a variety of sources ranging from smoking cigarettes to cooking accidents to faulty electrical work. The best way to prevent these types of accidents is to be mindful of what you are doing and to put out any fire as soon as you see the first flame. In addition to being mindful of potential fire hazards, it is important to have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in your home. It is also important to have a family fire plan where you make sure that everyone knows how to get to the nearest exit and safely go to a pre designated meeting place. Many families find fire drills to be useful safety exercises that prevent fire injuries.

Defective Products
Manufactured products are sometimes faulty and create flames, heat or smoke which in turn create burns. Almost any electrical product can result in a burn but some common causes include space heaters, fire extinguishers and tea kettles.

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Industrial Accidents
Workers in industrial plants and people living nearby should be aware of the possible burn injuries that could result from different accidents. Explosions, chemical spills and machinery defects can all lead to severe burns.

Flammable liquids can also be particularly dangerous. Common things such as paints, cleaners and adhesives can spontaneously combust if they are not kept in appropriate containers and at appropriate temperatures.

Gasoline and Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle fires are common and according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) they kill several hundred and injure several thousand people each year. People can prevent life threatening burns from motor vehicle fires by quickly exiting a burning vehicle. Also, it is important to never open the hood of a car if a fire is suspected. The air could make the fire more severe. Gasoline spills should also be handled with care since gasoline is extremely flammable and can easily lead to hot fires that cause significant burns.

Chemical Burns
Chemical burns can be severe. They usually occur when a chemical comes into contact with a person’s skin. The person’s skin suffers from a burn and if the chemical is strong enough the burn can go much further than the skin and burn the underlying bone, fat or muscle.

Chemical burns can also be a problem because they might not be readily apparent. A person might not know that his or her skin has come into contact with a dangerous chemical right away. However, the chemical starts doing damage immediately.

Flammable Clothing

Clothing fires must be avoided because burn injuries are often severely painful, disfiguring, and can cause death. The very clothing that protects us from the elements and sheer modesty permits us to have a sense of style while conforming to societal norms also can go up in smoke and cause severe burns at the drop of a match. For example, if you leave a hot iron on a cotton shirt too long, the heat will scorch the shirt and may start a fire. More about flammable clothing lawsuits.

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Hot liquids
Hot liquid burns, such as those created by hot water, are a very common source of injury especially in children and senior citizens. Hot water can burn a child in as little as 3 seconds. Other hot liquids such as oil, soup and tea can also cause significant burns.

The purpose of knowing what causes burn injuries is to prevent them. Burn injuries are painful and can lead to life threatening infections. Therefore, precautions should be taken to prevent their occurrence.

 

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