(HealthDay News) -- Getting burned from the sun, an outdoor grill, a bad electrical socket or a bonfire is always a surprise.
But the American Academy of Family Physicians suggests these following ways to cut down on the odds:
- Don't go outside in the sun for more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Use a sunscreen with an SPF (skin protection factor) of 15 or higher.
- Put smoke alarms in your home. Check them every week. Put in new batteries every six months.
- Think about how you would get out of your home in a fire emergency, and plan ahead. Have regular fire drills at home with parents and children.
- Wear gloves and other protective clothing when you handle chemicals. Store chemicals up high, where children can't reach them.
- Don't smoke in bed. Get rid of used cigarettes carefully.
- Put covers on electrical outlets that children can reach.
- Test bath water temperature before you or your children get into the tub or shower. Set the temperature on your hot water heater to 103 degrees, or use the "low-medium" setting. Water can cause burns in two to three seconds.
- Turn the handles of pots and pans toward the side of the stove, or use the back burners of the stove. Don't let small children play near the stove or help you cook at the stove. Don't wear clothing with long loose sleeves when you are cooking.
- Use cool-water humidifiers or vaporizers. Hot-steam vaporizers can cause burns if you get too close to them.
- Before putting a child younger than 1 year into a car seat, touch the seat to see how hot it is.
