Burn Injuries: Some Electric Ranges Recalled

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 126 reports were received for Frigidaire and Kenmore Elite smooth-top electric ranges that these appliances spontaneously turned on or failed to shut off leading to a handful of minor burn injuries and minor property damage. In some cases the ranges also heated to a different temperature than selected.

Frigidaire voluntarily recalled about 200,000 units. The recall involves multiple models of Frigidaire, Frigidaire Gallery and Frigidaire Professional styles, and one Kenmore Elite model. The U.S. made appliances were sold at Sears and other retailers from June 2001 through August 2009 priced from $1,000 to $2,500.

Consumers should stop using the recalled appliances immediately and contact Frigidaire to schedule a free repair.

Children Die from Burn Injuries in Home Fire

The vapors from a gas can left in a utility room of a home most likely started a fire that killed two toddlers.

The explosion killed a 1-year-old and 3-year-old. The 3-year-old underwent skin grafts and blood transfusions but in the end succumbed to death.

The mother was also injured while trying to save her children.

Tanning Beds and Cancer

Tanning Beds and Cancer

What is it about our society that places such a high regard on being tan?

Maybe it's the allure of the ocean, the Beach Boys tunes in our heads, the desire to look good in a bikini, and the myth that somehow perpetuates that tanning and health go together like Pilates and a flat stomach.

So what that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) now classifies tanning beds and other UV-emitting tanning devices as Group 1 carcinogens. What that means is sufficient evidence exists now to conclude that these tanning devices cause cancer in humans.

Use of tanning beds has been linked to an increased risk of melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer.

Will this convince millions of mostly women and teenage girls to stop? Probably not.
Somehow our society is programmed to pursue reckless behavoir at the cost of beauty.

Maybe daddy won't want to pay for the tanning bed visits but if he's still smoking a pack of cigarettes day, he won't place much importance on it either.

Get Fit-5 and Save Lives from Burn Injuries

The FIT-5 can easily put out a fire and prevent burn injuries.

Burns can come from many different sources including electricity and chemicals. Yet, many burns occur in the way that we often think of them occurring, namely from fires. The best way to prevent burns is to prevent fires and other causes of burns. However, that is not always possible. Sometimes, fires and other accidents occur and the next best line of defense is state of the art equipment with which to fight the fire or limit the damage from other burn sources.

What Kind of New Equipment is Available to Fight Fires?
In late 2007, a new kind of firefighting equipment entered the market. ARA Safety introduced the FIT-5, a handheld fire interruption device that firefighters can carry in their first response kits.

As of September 2008, only 37 fire departments in the entire country were equipped with the FIT-5 including the Neshannock Pennsylvania Fire Department. The Neshannock Fire Department successfully used the FIT-5 to combat a residential basement fire. The FIT-5 was used and two minutes later the flames were smothered and the temperature in the basement was brought down to below 130 degrees. Typical fires burn at around 600 degrees. The fire department was then able to extinguish one small remaining fire in a closet with just one gallon of water. The Captain of the Neshannock Fire Department found the FIT-5 to be a great success.

Why Fight Fires with a FIT-5?
The FIT-5 not only prevents further property damage but it can also save lives. While firefighters have protective gear and are trained to safely deal with fires, many die in the line of duty each year and many others suffer fire related injuries, including burns.

A device that can control a difficult fire in two minutes is likely to save many lives and prevent many people from experiencing the pain of burn wounds.

Pennsylvania State of the Art Burn Center

The Lehigh Valley Hospital Regional Burn Center handles emergency burns, burn recovery and burn prevention education.

The American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons have verified 44 burn centers in the United States. One of those burn centers is the regional burn center found at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Lehigh Valley Hospital’s Regional Burn Center cares for more than 600 burn patients annually. That is more than three times the average for burn centers in this country. They accept transfers from over 100 hospitals in Eastern Pennsylvania that lack the expertise or the staff to handle severe burns. They also admit people directly through their own emergency room. The hospital treats children and adults with severe and life threatening burns.

The Regional Burn Center also provides burn prevention education, burn recovery services and burn support services. The facility has 18 private rooms and a full time medical staff. It has state of the art infection control in its rooms to help prevent the painful and often deadly infections to which burn patients are susceptible. Scar management and psychosocial services are available as are state of the art treatment. Efforts are made to control burns before they become severe enough to require skin grafts.

Lehigh Valley Hospital also has an outpatient burn recovery center. This center performs many procedures and supports that used to require hospitalization and allows patients the freedom to recover in their own homes with the necessary support and treatment from the outpatient center.

Burn wounds can very serious and life threatening. They are always painful and sometimes they are severely painful. They can lead to permanent disabilities and scarring. However, the quality of medical treatment that is received can make a big difference in how a person recovers from a burn injury.

A burn injury is usually preventable and often makes a huge negative impact in the victim’s life regardless of the medical treatment received. That said, good medical treatment is essential for the best recovery possible and the people of Eastern Pennsylvania are lucky to have a state of the art resource like that found at Lehigh Valley Hospital’s Regional Burn Center.

College Fire Safety and Prevention

Fire safety plans can help college students stay safe from dorm fires.

Parents worry when they send their children off to college. For many students, it is the first time that they are living on their own and their families worry about their safety.

One of the primary areas of concern is fire safety. Dormitory fires can be fast spreading and serious. Students can suffer from severe third degree burns or even die as a result of these fires.
Therefore, many colleges and universities including Penn State have detailed plans to help prevent serious tragedies from occurring. The primary elements of Penn State’s fire safety plan include:

· Prohibiting Certain Things From Dorms: anything that is known to cause fires in dorms and burns on students is prohibited from Penn State dormitories. Those things include candles, incense, potpourri or anything else with an open flame. Other things such as halogen lamps and space heaters are also not permitted in the dorms.

· Fire Drills: fire drills are infamous on many college campuses. Penn State requires fire drills at least once a month. However, many colleges have a problem with the fire alarm being pulled too frequently and sometimes more than once a night. This can occur because of student pranks or a malfunctioning of the system. Whatever the cause, the result is students who decide to sleep through the alarm and not leave the dorms. This can be very dangerous when a real fire occurs. So, residential life staff is required to check dorm rooms for compliance with fire drill protocols every single time the alarm goes off.

· Fire Protection Equipment in Dorms: Dorms are required to have fire alarms and fire extinguishers on every floor. Smoke detectors are required in very dorm room.
Fires are universally tragic. However, they are especially tragic when young people are badly hurt or killed. Therefore, it is important to follow all fire safety guidelines required by your school.

At Risk: Laptops May Cause Serious Burns

Serious electrical burns can result from defective appliances or machines.

The fire danger associated with things such as cigarettes, candles and other sources of open flames may be well known. However, did you know that an electric appliance or machine that is defective can also put people at risk of burns?

Consider, for example, your laptop computer. Few people would think that they could be physically burned by their laptop. However, in September 2008, Sony recalled more than 430,000 VAIO laptop computers because of the potential for burns.

Sony issued this specific recall because they claimed that there was a danger of the machines overheating and causing burns to users. Specifically Sony said that, "Irregularly positioned wires near the computer's hinge and/or a dislodged screw inside the hinge can cause a short circuit and overheating… This poses a burn hazard to consumers."

As of the date of the recall, Sony had received information about 15 reports of VAIO laptops overheating and one report of a user getting burned.

While it might seem that Sony acted out of an abundance of caution, their move was well warranted. Electrical burns can look like minor injuries and in fact be very serious. They can result in a person going into shock which is a serious, life threatening event.

While many causes of burns are not preventable, those caused by known manufacture defects are preventable and each company has a responsibility to warn customers of the potential risk once they are aware of it.

In order to find out about potential risks, a consumer should take the following steps. First, many purchases come with a postcard that you can mail back to the company to register yourself as the owner of the product. Then, if any recalls occur, the company should notify you directly. Second, regularly review the government’s published recall list for any items that you might own. Third, if you notice a problem with your machine, notify the company and ask for help.

Burns can be very serious injuries. Therefore, it is best to take all necessary precautions to avoid them.