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Ways to Avoid Burns in Your Home

Rappaport, Glass, Greene and Levine is an injury law firm based in New York. We help injury victims in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens, Suffolk, and the entire New York metropolitan area. One part of our practice is helping those who have been suffered from severe burns. A burn can not only be severely painful, but it can also cause disfigurement and disability. If you or a loved one has been burned due to no fault of your own, contact Rappaport, Glass, Greene and Levine for a free legal consultation today.

A burn is one of the most horrifying accidents that a person can receive. It is painful, causes disfigurement, and requires long and painful rehabilitation.

Every year in the United States, more than 2.2 million people suffer from burns. Of these, close to 1 million seek emergency treatment and 3 percent to 5 percent sustain life-threatening injuries.

While there are several different causes of burns, many of them happen in people’s homes. What follows are some of the more common causes of home-based burns in the hopes that they can be avoided.

Barbeques: Barbeques are used so often in so many parts of the country that it is easy to forget that you are dealing with open flames. These can pose a risk of serious burns, especially for children. If you are using an outdoor grill, make sure that you are using every safety precaution, and make sure that you keep children away from them.

Clothes Irons: Irons left to cool on surfaces are one of the leading causes of burns among toddlers and young children. It is important to make sure that your iron is both left where children can’t reach it and that the cord is properly kept out of reach.

Hair Curling Irons: Most hair curling irons also have the distinction of coming in bright colors, which makes them extremely attractive to toddlers. It goes without saying that with the heat involved in your average curling iron, these can be extremely dangerous to children.

Fireplaces: While wood fireplaces are certainly dangerous enough, the gas fireplace that seems to be very popular these days is also dangerous. Make sure that your children are kept well away from the fire, and also make sure that they are kept away from the glass doors that cover most gas burning fireplaces. The glass can heat up to significant temperatures, and it can take a very long time for them to cool down after the fire has been turned off.

Radiators: Although less and less homes have the old fashioned radiators, they are still a danger. Not only do they heat up to significant temperatures, but they also have are not always hot. So a child can spend all summer playing on or around the radiator without realizing what it is for in the winter. Teach your child that the radiator is something to be avoided when it gets cold outside, or better yet teach them to avoid it in general.

Ovens: This is another household object that is hot sometimes and not hot at others. Again, this can be dangerous to toddlers who don’t know exactly what an oven is for. It is best to teach your children to stay away from it.

Hot Pots, Hot Stoves: Hot water is one of the common causes of burns to children. A pot on the stove looks very tempting to a toddler. While cooking, never leave your pots unattended, and always leave the handles turned inward away from easy reach.

Coffee Cups: Bear in mind that coffee heats to over a hundred degrees, which is definitely enough to scald someone. Keeping your full coffee cups away from children is a good way to avoid any mishaps.

Hot Water: Hot water heaters can heat water up to over 150 degrees. This is more than enough to scald anyone not paying attention. A safe level to set your water heater is no higher than 120 degrees.

These aren’t just safety tips for your kids. Remember that if a guest in your home or another child in your home suffers a burn, it is entirely possible that you could be held liable.

If you or a loved one has suffered from a burn in the New York City area through no fault of your own, contact the law offices of Rappaport, Glass, Greene and Levine for a free case assessment today.