Highlighting the dangers of hot liquid burns to children on National Burn Awareness Day 2025
Most accidents that cause these injuries to babies and children involve hot water which is why a key message for National Burn Awareness Day 2025 on Wednesday October 15 is ‘One Spill Can Change a Child’s Life’.
The Child Burns Trust reports that in the past year, 7,335 children sustained burn injuries requiring specialist care, this is excluding the thousands more who were treated in A&E or by their GP. Alarmingly, thirty babies and toddlers are admitted to hospital every day with burns caused by hot drinks, highlighting the urgent need for greater awareness and prevention.
HWFRS Head of Prevention, Emma Roberts shares urgent burn safety advice for families
“A burn injury can be for life! The scars are physical as well as psychological and can present life-long challenges for the individual and their families. What many people don’t know is that children and the elderly are the most vulnerable and the majority of injuries occur as a result of an accident that could so easily have been prevented.
We want to make parents and carers more aware of how many ordinary household items can cause burns and scalds and how serious these injuries can be – for example, just from tea and coffee as well as from kettles, candles, matches, lighters and even from hair straighteners. It is vital to keep items like these out of children’s reach. So, keep a close eye on such hazards today and every day.”
Many child burn injuries happen in the kitchen, with 728 children admitted to NHS burns services in 2024 due to electric hob accidents.
How to Protect Children from Burns and Scalds in Hereford and Worcester
- Ensure children don’t play near fires or heaters and fit childproof guards.
- If your or your children’s clothes catch fire, remember to ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’.
- Run cold water first in the bath or sink before adding hot water – test the temperature.
- Don’t store chemicals, cleaners such as bleach, and acids anywhere they can be reached for.
- If someone is burnt, cool the burn with cool running tap water for 20 minutes. Remove any clothing and jewellery if possible, and call for help via 999, 111, or your local GP. Cover the burn with cling film or a clean, non-fluffy dressing or cloth.