Your first aid guide on treating minor burns

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Your first aid
guide on treating minor burns

Burns can result from boiling water or food being cooked spilling onto a person, contact with an electrical source or chemicals, and from a fire. Burns range in severity from minor discomfort to life threatening emergencies. The extent to which a burn will heal often depends on the quality of first aid received immediately after the injury.

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These Do's and Don'ts will help lay persons to provide the appropriate care when faced with a burn injury.

Play it safe

DO

Remain calm and look after your own safety first.

  • If the person has suffered an electrical burn and is still in contact with the electrical source, switch off the electricity before assisting, or use a non-conductive object such as a wooden broom handle to separate the person from the source of electricity.
  • In case of a chemical burn, use protective eyewear and gloves to prevent getting some of the chemical on yourself.
  • If a person's clothing has caught alight, get them to immediately stop, drop and roll to extinguish the flames, while using their hands to cover their face. Take care that your own clothes doesn’t catch fire.

DON'T

Don't rush in to assist without checking that it is safe for you to do so. You cannot be of help to a burns victim if you yourself get injured.

Take it off

Do

Remove clothing that isn’t stuck to the burnt area, especially if they’re still hot, smouldering or mixed with chemicals. Remove jewellery where possible, as swelling could make it difficult to remove later.

DON'T

Clothing that sticks to the affected skin should not be removed – medical professionals should take care of that.

Cool it

DO

Cool the burn area. In case of a minor or moderate burn, hold the affected area under cool, running water for between 10 and 30 minutes to reduce the heat and prevent further tissue damage. This is also effective for chemical burns as the water will help dilute the harmful substance. Alternatively cover the burn with a wet, clean cloth or first aid burn gel, particularly if the burn is on the face.

DON'T

Don't use ice to cool the burn, as this may cause tissue damage or frostbite. Don’t immerse large severe burns in cold water. NEVER use oily substances such as butter, grease or oil on a burn, or any other substances such as pastes, turmeric, egg white, toothpaste, flour or topical ointments.

Cover it

Do

For a minor burn, apply a sterile dressing to the burn and cover the dressing with a bandage. If blisters do break, clean them with water, apply an antiseptic ointment and cover them with a gauze bandage which needs to be changed daily.

Don't

Don't try to clean the wound, burst any blisters as they help the skin to heal, or peel away skin.

Beware of possible damage from smoke inhalation

Do

In case of a fire, toxic gases may be released and inhaled. Any person present during a fire should be evaluated by a medical professional as soon as possible to determine possible damage from smoke inhalation, to prevent secondary complications.

Don't

Don't avoid seeking medical care in case of a fire, even if nobody sustained burns.

If the person has severe burns, the burn is causing significant pain, involves the eyes, or is larger than the person’s hand, immediately contact an emergency medical services provider. Netcare 911 can be contacted on 082 911.