Fire Safety Tips for Preventing Burns

With summer soon ending after the Labor Day holiday, there may be only a few weekends left to share with friends and family at a house party or an outside barbecue. The Summit Daily of Frisco, Colorado (C), has shared tips on fire safety to prevent personal injuries.

The newspaper notes that according to the American Burn Association, 1 million burn injuries in the United States annually, resulting in about 45,000 hospitalizations. Nearly half of those hospitalizations are admissions to specialized burn treatment centers within a hospital with teams dedicated to caring for those with burn injuries.

Preventing burn injuries stems from fire safety. In the United States, cooking is the main cause of home fires. Here are tips on home fire safety"

• Don't leave the stove or oven unattended when on.
• When grilling, check the propane cylinder hose for leaks prior to using it the first time each year.
• Don't let kids use kitchen appliances unsupervised.
• Don't use cigarettes in bed.
• Have an escape plan if a fire occurs in a home.
• Install smoke alarms inside bedrooms and the kitchen.
• Make sure security gates on windows and doors can open from the inside.
• Ensure doors to patios are not painted shut.
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When a burn injury does occur, a number of parties may be responsible. For instance, premises liability laws require homeowners to keep property in a reasonably safe condition. Property owners must warn visitors of fire hazards when they create a dangerous condition on property. They may be liable for burn injuries and deaths that occur due to locked fire exits or sprinkler systems that don't work. Also, manufacturers may be liable when there's evidence a smoke detector failed.

Working with fire investigators and other experts, a VA personal injury attorney representing a burn victim will evaluate what caused the fire or explosion so the responsible parties can be held accountable.

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