Acoce Gniteirermn Shriners Hospitals Urge People To Avoid Hot Objects And Hot Foods During Burn Awareness Week, February 6-12, 2005 (NAPSA)—The Shriners, mem- bers of the fraternal organization that operates 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children throughout North America, are urging people to take necessary precautions against burns related to hot objects and hot foods, especially during the 2005 Burn Awareness Week, February 6-12. “Although Shriners Hospitals try to educate people throughout the year about burn prevention, during Burn Awareness Week we focus on a particular type of burn injury,” said Raoul L. Frevel Sr., President and CEO of the Shriners of North America. “This year, we are urging children and parents to stay away from hot objects and hot foods. These are things children come in contact with each day and the burns are preventable.” Theelectric iron and the curling iron are two common hot objects contacted by young children. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), out of a total of 18,700 contact burns associated with electric irons, more than 11,000 were kids under 15. Many younggirls have also received burns on their ears from using curling irons. In fact, out of 16,000 curling iron burns, more than 10,000 involved children under 15. Other hot objects that can cause burn injuries include ranges, ovens and microwaves. According to the CPSC, more than 18,000 range burns, 3,400 microwave burns and 8,000 oven burns were associated with children under 15. Shriners Hospitals offers the following tips to keep children safe from burns from hot objects and hotfoods: * Do not allow your children near stoves, hot oven doors, hot barbecue grills, heaters or other hot appliances, such as curling irons andelectric irons. When cooking, use the back burners and turn handles inward. Never place space heaters on cabinets, tables, furniture or the like. Never use heaters to dry clothing or shoes. Keep appliance cords away from the edge of a counter, where a child can pull the appliance down. Create a “no zone” or “safe zone” area around the stove and oven for the children—about a 5foot perimeter distance. Children must stay outside of this zone. When barbecuing, keep an eye out for kids who want to pull themselves up for a better view of the grill—the whole thing can topple over. * Usegrill lighter fluid sparingly Unplug and turn off electric or hot items after use. Keep hot food and beverages away from children. Known as the experts in pediatric burn care, Shriners Hospitals operate four burn hospitals in Galveston, Cincinnati, Boston and Sacramento. Through intensive research and state-of-the-art clini- cal care, a burned child’s chance of survival has more than doubled since the Shrinersfirst opened the burn hospitals in the mid-1960s. Much of today’s research now focuses on improving the quality of life for burn survivors. The Shrinersoffer a booklet on burn prevention free of charge. For your copy of “Burn Prevention Tips,” write to the Public Relations Department, Shriners International Headquarters, P.O. Box 31356, Tampa, FL 3363813356, or visit the Shriners and Shriners Hospitals Web site at www.shrinershq.org. Note to Editors: This article is appropriate for publication during Burn Awareness Week, February 6-12, 2005, but may be run at any time.
