be burn-aware
Burn prevention is a key endeavor of Shriners Hospitals for Children®, which is why the health care system began its Burn Awareness campaigns more than 20 years ago. Burn Awareness Week is a kick-off to a year-long campaign. The 2017 recognition will be February 5–11.
Meet Boots and Brewster, the Burn Awareness pair
The Burn Awareness campaign features two child-friendly characters – Boots and Brewster – a caped, cuddly bear and a googly-eyed teapot. In our activity books for ages 3–7 and 8–12, the pair leads children through the various rooms of a house, pointing out dangers and how to easily correct or avoid them.
The booklets also have pages for families to map out a home fire escape plan:
electrical safety
Be safe around electricity
In the U.S., electrical burns and injuries from lightning result in approximately 3,000 admissions to specialized burn units annually, and result in about 1,000 fatalities. In addition, electrical fires in residences cause more than 25,000 fires annually.
Remembering a few basic safety tips can help keep you and your children safe.
Please take a moment to review this Tip sheet (Be Safe Around Electricity), and share it around.
fiery safety
Keep children safe from fire
Approximately 85 percent of fire-related deaths occur in homes. And every year, more than 400 children under the age of 10 die in home fires.
Fires and burns are the third leading cause of deaths that occur in the home, the third-leading cause of injury-related fatalities among children aged 1-9, and the fourth most prevalent cause for children aged 10-14 in the U.S. Many more could be prevented by following some prevention tips and precautions.
Please take a moment to review this Tip sheet (Keep Children from Fire), and share it around.
home safety
Safety begins at home
Shriners Hospitals for Children® wants children and families to "Be Burn Aware," especially at home.
Thousands of children sustain burn injuries in their homes every year. Many of these injuries could have been prevented. Here are some safety tips to help keep your children – and you – safe at home.
Please take a moment to review this Tip sheet (Safety Begins at Home), and share it around.
scald safety
Prevent scald injuries
Every day, hundreds of young children with burn injuries are taken to emergency rooms. They were not even near a flame. The children are victims of scalds.
Clearly, this is a real danger. Scald burns (caused by hot liquids, steam or foods) are the most common burn injury among children aged 4 and younger. According to Safe Kids USA, an average of 12 children aged 14 and under, die from scald burn injuries each year.
Children aged 4 and under account for nearly all of these deaths.
While the number of injuries is distressing, even more disturbing is the fact that many of these burns could have been prevented.
Please take a moment to review this Tip sheet (Keep Children Safe from Scalds), and share it around.
Be Burn Aware materials for children and families
Other available materials:
Shriners Hospitals for Children® offers a variety of complimentary burn prevention materials, including activity books and fact cards. To view and order the materials, visit our online ordering system. We accept orders for delivery within the United States, Canada and Mexico only. Please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery. For more information, contact the public relations department at Shriners International Headquarters by sending an e-mail or calling 813-281-8162.
Shriners Hospitals for Children®:
A History of Innovation and Excellence in Burn Care
Shriners Hospitals for Children® is noted worldwide as a leader in pediatric burn care. Since opening our three pediatric burn hospitals in the 1960s, our health care system has been at the forefront of innovative programs and treatment techniques that have both dramatically improved the survival rate for children with severe burns and enhanced their quality of life.
Here is a brief timeline of the development of our burn care program:
For more information about the Shriners Hospitals for Children®, please visit our page.
