Workplace Burns—A ‘Hot’ Training Topic

According to the American Burn Association, each year in the United States, 1.1 million burn injuries need medical attention, and 45,000 of them require hospitalization.

More than a few of those burns turn out to be fatal. It may surprise you to hear that approximately 4,500 Americans die of burns every year, and another 10,000 die of burn-related infections.

We’re devoting today’s and tomorrow’s Advisor to the subject of burns because a significant portion of annual burn injuries occur on the job. Many workers—maybe quite a few of your employees—are exposed to a variety of hazards every day capable of producing serious, even fatal, burns.

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Burn Hazards

Heat burns are among the most common workplace burns. Workers can get burned by contact with hot surfaces, flames, hot liquids, steam, molten metals, or hot equipment. But let’s not forget that there are lots of other ways to get burned.

Some chemicals can burn the skin. A strong corrosive, for example, can do a lot of damage. And it only takes a little bit.

And don’t forget electricity. Contact with electric current can burn—and not just the skin. Electricity running through a worker’s body can burn organs and other deep tissues.

And then there are sunburns. OK, not so serious. But sunburns damage skin and are often uncomfortable—not to mention the long-term cancer risk.

Although industrial workers are more likely to get burned on the job, any employee could be at risk—either on or off the job. So training your workers to recognize burn hazards and take proper precautions to prevent injury is time well spent.

Don’t leave anybody out of burns training. Even office workers could get heat or electrical burns on the job.

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There Are Burns and There Are Burns

The seriousness of the injury caused by a burn depends on the degree of the burn.

• First-degree burns are superficial. Only the top layer of skin is affected. With a first-degree burn, the skin gets a little red and dry, and there’s some localized pain, but that’s the extent of it. Most sunburns are first-degree burns. First-degree burns usually heal in a few days.
  
• Second-degree burns are more serious. Additional layers of skin are affected. The burned area is red and blistered. Swelling occurs, and blisters can open and get infected. Second-degree burns are quite painful and can take several weeks to heal completely, often leaving a scar.
  
• Third-degree burns are very severe, sometimes life-threatening injuries. These burns destroy all layers of skin in the affected area as well as muscle and nerve tissue under the skin. The area appears charred, sometimes with patches of white where the underlying tissues have been exposed. Infection is a potential threat that can make the situation even worse. Third-degree burns are often extremely painful, although they can sometimes be painless if nerve tissue in the area is completely destroyed. Third-degree burns take a long time to heal and may require skin grafts.

Tomorrow, we’ll complete our look at workplace burns with a review of first-aid tips for all three degrees of burns.