The advice on burn first aid from the British Burn Association was updated this year. The time a burn should be cooled under running water has increased to a minimum of 20 minutes. Many people find that using running tap water for this long very uncomfortable, so you can pour water gently from a jug or even immerse the burned area in water; if using immersion then you must change the water regularly to ensure its cool and chemical burns must always be flushed with running water, not immersed.
Other tips for burn first aid treatment are to remove the cause of the burn, remove jewellery, but do not remove clothing stuck to the burned area.
If the burn is partial thickness, identified by blistering, then you should avoid bursting them.
Never use ice to cool a burn as ice can cause further trauma to the skin. Other myths about treatment of burns, especially sunburn, are just that myths! Never use any form of food on a burn, it may cause further harm & scarring.
A burn should be cooled with water immediately, but if you can’t do that then there is about a 3 hour window for treatment to still be effective, but the sooner the burn is cooled the better, faster treatment usually means less chance of scarring or blistering.
If the burned area is larger than the size of the casualties hand then they should seek further medical attention. Depending on the severity that may be a 999/112 call, a visit to A&E or seeking advice from a pharmacist. If the burn is to the face, neck or groin then medical attention is recommended.
If you’d like to know more on burn treatment then why not book a course with us. Burn treatment is covered on our standard first aid at work courses as well as our family first aid course.
