How To Prevent Burns In The Workplace

As an employer, ensuring your employees are safe from burns is your responsibility, especially in workplaces where burns (chemical burns, thermal burns, electrical burns etc.) are common. Although they are common, burns can be easily prevented in a number of ways. 

This Is How To Prevent Burns In The Workplace: 

1. Ensure employees have Initial and refresher training
2. Wearing the correct PPE and clothing
3. Place warning signs or stickers near hot equipment or surfaces
4. Employees should take extra precaution when they near hot surfaces
5. Ensure there are first aid kits and fire extinguishers available

1. Ensure Employees Have Initial And Refresher Training

Making sure employees have proper burns training before starting the job is one of the most important steps an employer can take, and should cover not only the hazards the employee might face, but also how to identify hazards that may not have been covered.

In addition to training before ever even starting a job, employers should regularly update training so that employees are kept up-to-date with standard changes.

2. Ensure Employees Wear The Correct PPE And Clothing

Making sure that employees are wearing the correct PPE and clothing is crucial and makes all the difference. Fire-resistant materials such as wool, in clothing, are known for helping to prevent burns to the body. The correct gloves, shoes and eye protection should also be worn if necessary. 

3. Place Warning Signs Or Stickers Near Hot Equipment Or Surfaces

The purpose of having safety signage in the workplace is to identify and warn workers who may be exposed to hazards in the workplace. You should therefore ensure that there are the necessary warning signs/stickers near hot surfaces or equipment, for example ‘Caution Hot Surface’ signs. 

4. Employees Should Take Extra Precaution When They’re Near Hot Surfaces

In the catering environment, workers should take extra precaution when they are near hot surfaces, handling hot oil or grease. Reaching across surfaces, transporting hot materials and dumping hot liquids can be dangerous if an employee is not super careful .

5. Ensure There Are First Aid Kits And Fire Extinguishers Available

Burns are one of the most serious types of injuries that can occur in the workplace, and even in workplaces where fire isn’t a huge risk, accidents happen. This is why it’s crucial that you’re prepared to put out a fire with the correct Fire Extinguisher or treat a victim with a high quality Burn Care Kit. Learn about the different types of fire extinguishers here and how to use them here.

The immediate treatment of a burn injury is essential to halt the progress of burns through the layers of skin, which is why they are crucial to treat major or minor burns in the workplace. Key products to include in a burns first aid kit are:

Nitrile Gloves 

Vinyl gloves can split, unlike nitrile gloves which feature high tear resistance. For this reason, when treating a burns victim, the use of nitrile gloves will ensure bacteria and germs aren’t passed onto the wound. Their thick material also ensures abrasions and sharp objects don’t puncture the gloves. 

Universal shears

Universal shears are another essential part of your burns first aid kit, designed for cutting clothes, bandages and dressings.

Burn Gel

Burn gel such as BurnSoothe or BurnShield provides instant burn relief and protection.Burn gel also promotes healing and helps prevent the burn progressing through healthy tissue and causing more damage. In cases of minor burns, a dressing may not always be necessary. In this instance, burn gel spray is your best bet, offering the perfect solution where dressing is not required, with the added benefit of a ‘non-touch’ application. 

Conforming Bandages

Conforming bandages are an essential part of your burns first aid kit and are excellent for securing dressings and conforms easily to body angles. Secure these bandages with either a safety pin or micropore tape.

Micropore Tape 

As mentioned above, micropore tape is ideal for securing bandages and is an important part of any first aid kit. One of the benefits of using this type of tape is that the material used to make this tape has tiny pores (2 nanometres in diameter or smaller). These pores make the product super breathable, meaning the skin underneath the tape has a better chance of healing than skin covered in non breathable products. 

You can also get a premade burns first aid kit that includes everything you need for your workplace.

How To Treat A Minor Burns Victim In The Workplace

As mentioned above, accidents and burns in the workplace happen, regardless of how precautious you are. Major burns need emergency medical attention, whereas minor burns and scalds can usually be treated with first aid.

To treat a minor burn, there are 4 simple steps you should follow. 

Firstly, you want to immediately take off any clothing and submerge the burn in cold tap water. Do this for about 20 minutes or until the pain lessens. If the burn is on the face, apply a cool, wet compress until the pain eases.

You then want to apply burn dressing (burn gel or spray as mentioned above). These gels work to promote healing, moisten, soothe and help prevent further tissue damage. Avoid using topical creams at this stage as these may interfere with subsequent assessment of the burn. 

After applying the gel, cover the burn with a clean conforming bandage to keep air off the area, reduce pain and protect blistered skin. Wrap the bandage loosely to avoid putting pressure on burned skin and secure it with micropore tape or a safety pin. 

Once the bandage has been wrapped, you can treat the pain with ibuprofen or paracetamol. 

For all of your first aid needs, take a look at Morsafe’s extensive range of first aid products, which ranges from pre-made first aid products to individual items. 

Written by Kate for Morsafe Supplies.