Many ignore fire safety at home, survey reveals
(HealthDay)—The holiday season can be a dangerous time of year, but many families ignore fire and burn safety tips, a new survey finds.
Fewer than half of those surveyed by Shriners Hospitals for Children said they water live Christmas trees daily, though 70 percent knew they should to prevent fire.
A quarter of respondents said they leave lit candles unattended, and 27 percent allow lit candles to be within reach of children.
The survey also revealed that 47 percent of respondents don't keep a lid or cookie sheet nearby in order to cut off oxygen to a cooking fire. A quarter of the respondents said they don't turn pot handles to the back of the stove so kids can't grab them.
"Some of these findings seem alarming, but each year our burn hospitals see the results—children who've been injured in cooking-related accidents or in fires associated with decorations or candles," chief medical officer Dr. Kenneth Guidera said in a hospital news release.
"These injuries can mean years of ongoing treatments to a child's growing skin and extensive rehabilitation," he added.
More information: For more about fire safety, visit Be Burn Aware, a project of Shriners Hospitals for Children.
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