Top causes of burns and scalds and how to avoid them

The very things that help keep us warm during winter — camp fires, a hot cuppa, cooking comfort food — can pose the greatest risks for burns. Common causes of burns and scalds in adults Adults represent 70 per cent of all burns cases presented to specialist burns units, according to data from the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand. Burn and scalds in adults 14 per cent: flames from campfire/bonfire/burn-off 7 per cent: scalds from fat/oil 6 per cent: flame from other 6 per cent: scalds from water from saucepan/kettle/jug/billy/urn 5 per cent: chemicals from alkali Throwing an accelerant, such as petrol, onto an open fire is a common cause of these flame burns in young men, says Ms Cleland. "The burns often occur when people pick up the pan to carry it outside — this is when the burns happen either by spilling the hot oil on themselves, or by their clothes catching fire by the flames, or both," Ms Connolly says. Hot water bottle bursts in bed Photo shows A woman points to a green rubber hot water bottle that has a large perforation at the bottom seam A young mother left with third-degree burns is urging others not to make the same mistake as her, and says to never fill a hot water bottle with boiling water.