Guide · First aid

Burns and scalds

Cool a burn with cool running water as quickly as possible — it reduces damage even if you start a little late. Call your local emergency number (112 in Europe and many other countries, 911 in North America) for large or deep burns, burns to the airway, electrical burns or anyone who seems unwell.

First, make it safe

• If clothes are on fire: stop, drop and roll, or smother the flames with a heavy blanket or coat.
• For electrical burns, switch off the power before you touch the person.
• Move them away from the heat source.

Cool the burn

1. Hold the burn under cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes. Start the timer once the water is flowing.
2. If you don't have running water, use any clean, cool liquid, or keep replacing cool, wet cloths.
3. Never use ice, iced water, butter, oils, toothpaste or creams. They can make the damage worse or trap heat.
4. Keep the rest of the person warm while you cool the burn, especially children. Cooling a big area can make them dangerously cold.

While cooling

• Gently remove rings, watches, belts and tight clothing near the burn before it swells.
• Leave anything stuck to the skin in place.

Cover it

1. Lay cling film lengthways over the burn in loose strips. Don't wrap it tightly round a limb, as swelling can make it too tight.
2. If you don't have cling film, use a clean plastic bag (good for hands) or a clean non-fluffy dressing.
3. Don't burst blisters.
4. Raise a burnt arm or leg if you can, to reduce swelling.

Chemical burns

1. Protect yourself with gloves.
2. Brush off dry powder, then rinse with plenty of running water for at least 20 minutes.
3. Remove contaminated clothing carefully.
4. For chemicals in the eye, rinse with clean water for at least 20 minutes, with the injured eye lowest so water runs away from the other eye.

Get medical help for

• Burns bigger than the person's palm
• Burns on the face, hands, feet, genitals or over joints
• White, charred or painless burns, which can be deep
• Electrical, chemical or friction burns
• Burns to babies, children, older people, pregnant women or people with health conditions
• Any coughing, hoarse voice, soot around the nose or mouth, or breathing trouble after a fire. These can mean airway burns, which can swell over hours — this is an emergency.

Watch a burnt person for shock: pale, cold, clammy skin, fast breathing and confusion.

This guide does not replace a first-aid course. A few hours of hands-on practice will make you far more confident when it matters.

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