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- Technology has been successful in the design of a number of products (such as smoke detectors) that assist in the reduction of burn deaths and injuries, but as in many injury issues, we need to ensure their proper and continued use.
- Smoke detectors - effective, reliable and inexpensive early warning devices assist in reducing residential fires by 71% when batteries are operational.
- Water temperature and mixing valve regulations – legislation requiring a safe pre-set temperature (54°C) for all water heaters has proven to be a more effective method of reducing scalds burns than education to encourage parents to turn down water heaters. Also, thermostatic mixing valves on all boilers or water heaters provide control over the water temperature exiting the bath or shower faucet.
- Child resistant cigarette lighters - fire deaths associated with cigarette lighters dropped 43% in the Unites States with the adoption of child resistant designs and annual savings of $125 million. Update March 11, 2008: non child-resistant lights will no longer be available on the market (more).
- Flame retardant fabrics – setting flammability standards for mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture and day and sleepwear. Following the passage of the Flammable Fabrics Act of 1972 in the United States14 there was a 75% reduction in hospital admissions due to sleepwear burns.
- Reduced ignition propensity cigarettes – the technology exists for producing reduced ignition of cigarettes that lower the risk of a fire hazard from smoking cigarettes.
- Adopting the following simple preventive measures in the kitchen helps in the reduction of burns injuries: using the rear positions of the cooker when cooking, keeping hot objects, foods and liquids in places where children have no access and avoiding the use of tablecloths on kitchen tables.
This information has been taken from the Fact sheet on Burns and Scalds published by the Alliance in October 2006. This fact sheet including the references to the information above is available here.
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