A burn can be one of the worst injuries a person can get. Unfortunately, burns are a common injury at home and at the workplace. To raise awareness of burn hazards, prevention and treatment, the American Burn Association has designated the first week of February as Burn Awareness Week. Ohio residents may avoid a tragedy by knowing the risks.
Burns are one of the top causes of accidental injury and death in the country, according to the American Burn Association. From 2011 to 2015, about 486,000 fire and burn injuries were treated in hospitals across the country.
There was a recent incident, reported by Newsweek, which showed how burns can happen unexpectedly, as well as from consumer products that people assume are safe. A woman had purchased a hair dryer through an Amazon vendor, and on her first use of the product, it began jetting flame like a flamethrower. The woman claimed that turning the dryer off only worsened the problem, and she unplugged it and threw it into her sink. She said she suffered minor burns on her hands, and that the company has not yet responded to her complaints.
In the above case, the woman made the best decision by keeping her head and unplugging the hair dryer before submerging it in water. Electricity is cited as one of the primary causes of burns. Open flame, contact with a hot object, scalding liquid and chemicals can also cause severe burns.
Taking such precautions as installing smoke detectors may prevent a dangerous fire, but not all accidents can be prevented. A company that makes a defective product that caused an injury may be held liable.
