FACTS

1. Burns are the worst form of injuries a human body can suffer. Unfortunately, many workplaces expose employees to numerous burn injury threats. 
2. Burn wounds evolve in the first few days after injury, as the process of inflammation becomes established and healing progresses. The elderly and unwell frequently have very limited capacity to heal even quite superficial burns. Burns involving the feet and lower leg often become more painful, swollen and deeper in the days after injury, especially if the patient does not rest with the limb elevated.
3. Burn wounds can be classified into 6 separate groups based on the mechanism of injury: scalds, contact burns, fire, chemical, electrical, and radiation. Scald burn injuries can be caused by liquids, grease, or steam. Liquid scalds can be further divided into spill and immersion scalds. Fire burn injuries can be divided into flash and flame burns. Patients with flame burns and electrical burn injuries often require hospitalization. In contrast, most patients with burns caused either by contact with hot surfaces or sun exposure are managed as outpatients.
4. Hand and foot burns are generally not considered minor because inadequate management can result in serious disability. Most clinicians err on the side of caution when treating hand burns and refer them to a burn center if there is any doubt about the severity of the injury.

STATS

• Burns and fires are a leading cause of injury and accidental death in children and adults, and account for an estimated 3,275 adult deaths per year.
• The World Health Organization estimates that burn accidents account for at least 180,000 deaths each year. While most of these burns take place at home, a significant percentage of burn accidents are workplace-related.
• Burns are a global public health problem, accounting for an estimated 265,000 deaths annually. In the United States, burn injuries are second only to motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. The majority of these burns occur in the home, but burns in the workplace account for a major proportion of all burns. Statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) show that more than 5,000 burn injuries occur in the United States annually as a result of work-related fires and explosions. 
• Every year for National Burn Awareness week, the American Burn Association brings attention to burn injuries that result in over 40,000 hospitalizations per year.