File photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanState Fire Marshall Stephen D. Coan, seen here last month in Holyoke, says preschoolers are eight times more likely to suffer a scald than any other age group.
By PATRICK JOHNSON
pjohnson@repub.com
A report issued by the state fire marshal's office shows more
than a third of all serious burns reported in Massachusetts
last year were scald injuries from hot liquids and more than
half of these were to children under the age of 5.
Based on the report, preschoolers are eight times more
likely to suffer a scald than any other age group, according
to Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan.
"The leading burn problem in the state is a preventable
one," Coan said.
The annual report of the Massachusetts Burn Injury Reporting
System issued last week shows that scalding, and not fire,
was the leading cause of burn injuries statewide for the
24th consecutive year.
Thirty-six percent, or 159, of the 438 burns reported were
caused by cooking accidents involving boiling liquids or
grease, the report showed. Other common scald injuries are
from spilled hot drinks, household water heaters set too
high or from overheated car radiators.
According to the report, 21 percent of burns were from
fires, and another 21 percent were caused when a person
came into contact with a flame. Sixty-six percent of burn
injuries took place in a residence.
The fire marshal and state Department of Public Health
are required to keep track of all burn injuries affecting
more than 5 percent of the injured person's body.
Coan recommends that toddlers be placed in high chair when
the adult is preparing or drinking hot coffee or tea. Also,
he advises that pot handles should be turned inward toward
the stove when cooking.
He also recommends parents use place mats instead of table
cloths with small children. This prevents the child from
pulling on the tablecloth and spilling hot food or beverages
on themselves, he said.
