November 2004

Injury Prevention Week focus on burns and scalds

Scalds to children under four account for 75 per cent of all burn and scald admissions to Victorian hospitals, according to the latest research released by Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Robert Hall.

Launching Injury Prevention Week at Monash Medical Centre, Dr Hall said unintentional injury was an ever-present risk for all Victorians, regardless of age.

‘Whether it be at work, on the road, engaging in sport and recreation or even at home, Victorians can’t afford to be complacent about the possibility of injury,’ Dr Hall said.

‘Every year, around 300,000 Victorians attend a hospital emergency department or are admitted because of an injury.

‘Of even greater concern is the fact that about 1,800 Victorians die each year as a result of sustaining an injury.

‘The latest figures show that, during the two-year period of 2001–2003, burn and scald injuries caused 15 deaths in older people and over 2,200 hospital treated injuries for both children and older persons combined, including 785 admissions.

‘Burns and scalds are among the most distressing injuries that can be experienced.

‘Although rarely fatal in children, they may cause considerable pain, often need prolonged treatment and can result in lifelong disfigurement through scarring.

‘Injury Prevention Week—one of the four theme weeks of Community Safety Month—is an opportunity to draw attention to a major but often overlooked health and safety issue.’

Dr Hall also released the Safe Smart Homes Booklet: Give children a SafeStart—full of practical, inexpensive measures to make Victorian homes safer.

Produced by the City of Greater Dandenong as part of a Department of Human Services initiative known as SafeStart, the booklet was developed specifically around child injury prevention but can help to make all Victorian homes safer.

‘One of the most practical and simple steps that can be taken by all of us to prevent scald injuries is to reduce hot water service temperature to 50 degrees celsius,’ Dr Hall said.

‘At 50 degrees, it takes five minutes to incur a third degree burn as opposed to one second at 60 degrees.

‘Another simple measure is to use non-slip mugs with lids instead of open mugs as hot drink scalds from cups or mugs account for more than one-quarter of all hospital admissions for burns and scalds in children and eight per cent of admissions in adults aged 70 years and older,’ he said.

Monash Medical Centre, as part of Injury Prevention week, hosted a safety expo, including the smokebuster bus and other interactive displays.

Department of Human Services Injury Prevention Senior Project Manager Nicola Rabot said expo participants included the Royal Children’s Hospital Safety Centre, Victoria Police, the Victorian Farmsafe Alliance, Hume, Greater Dandenong and Monash City Councils, Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Aqua Max, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Victorian Injury Surveillance and Applied Research Centre, Smartplay Victoria, VicRoads, Thingle Toodle, the Department of Justice, Crime Prevention Victoria, the Victorian Safe Communities Network and Peninsula Health.