Burn injuries remain a serious and often life-altering concern for Canadians, with thousands requiring medical treatment each year due to fires, scalds, chemical exposure and electrical accidents. Many of these incidents occur in workplaces, making education, preparedness and prevention essential.
National Burn Awareness Week, observed Feb. 1 to 7, aims to increase public understanding of burn risks and promote safer practices at home, at work and in the community. The annual campaign brings together health-care professionals, emergency responders, educators, employers and community organizations to share practical safety information and prevention strategies.
This year’s theme, Burn Prevention Where You Live, Work and Play — Preventing Burns in the Workplace, highlights the wide range of environments where burn injuries can occur, including commercial kitchens, health-care settings, construction sites, laboratories and manufacturing facilities.
A firefighter with the Woodlands Fire Department said crews respond to a variety of burn-related emergencies and are trained to provide immediate first aid, along with trauma care, bleeding control, CPR and fracture support.
While she could not share specific details due to privacy, she said firefighters prioritize calming patients who are often scared, worried and in pain.
“We do our very best to remain calm so patients feel confident in our ability to help them,” she said. “We collect important medical information by asking key questions we’re trained to use so we can provide the best care possible and assist the agency that takes over.”
She noted that many burn injuries in local communities occur when people attempt to extinguish fires before help arrives, as well as from the misuse of flammable materials and smoking-related incidents.
“Statistically, more injuries happen at home or close to home,” she said. “That’s where we spend most of our time, and because of routine and complacency, we tend to be less cautious.”
Household burns can happen in seconds, particularly in kitchens. Children are at risk when they pull hot items from counters or stoves.
She recommends keeping hot items out of reach, using rear burners and turning pot handles inward as part of safe kitchen practices. When responding to a small fire, it’s important to know the correct methods — including using a working fire extinguisher or, for grease fires, turning off the heat and carefully covering the pan with a lid.
The department typically sees an increase in burn-related calls during warmer months when residents are cleaning yards, camping or grilling, but she emphasized that hazards exist year-round.
“Staying alert and watching for hazards is one of the biggest ways to prevent injury,” she said.
In the workplace, burns can result from contact with hot equipment, sparking machinery, combustibles and chemicals. She stressed the importance of having safety plans in place and ensuring workers understand their surroundings.
“That includes proper ventilation, wearing protective equipment, storing chemicals safely and keeping combustible materials away from heat sources,” she said.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends a three-step approach to burn prevention:
Recognize – Identify fire risks before starting hot work.
Evaluate – Assess hazards, especially flammable and combustible materials.
Control – Take steps to eliminate or minimize those hazards.
She added that one of the simplest and most effective prevention measures is consistently wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
“PPE is the barrier between you and potential harm,” she said. “Whether it’s safety glasses, gloves, protective clothing or footwear, it’s designed to protect you. It only takes a second to put it on — and it’s never worth skipping that step.”
If a burn does occur, she advises removing nearby clothing or fabric and cooling the affected area with cool running water or a cool compress. Keeping the wound clean helps prevent infection, and rubbing the area should always be avoided. Some chemical burns require different treatment, including brushing off dry chemicals and avoiding water, making it critical for workers to know how to respond based on the materials they handle.
Untreated or improperly treated burns can lead to nerve and tissue damage, infections and long-term pain. Burn trauma can also impact mental health, contributing to anxiety or depression.
More information on burn prevention is available through the Province of Manitoba, the Canadian Red Cross and the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba, which also offers employer training and safety resources.
