Observed during the first full week of February, Burn Awareness Week is a time when everyone is encouraged to assess their burn risk and take steps to prevent future burns. Every year, over 400,000 Americans receive treatment for burn injuries, with the majority of these accidents occurring at home.

It’s important for everyone to take the opportunity to celebrate this week with their family to ensure everyone stays healthy and avoids burns. During this week, the American Burn Association also releases a toolkit that people can use in their organizations to raise awareness about the risk of burns and how to minimize that risk.

The History of Burn Awareness Week

This holiday week has been observed for the past few years and was originally created by the American Burn Association. They established this holiday to reduce the number of burn injuries that occur in the U.S. each year and to educate people on how to minimize their personal burn risk. Every year, they release a toolkit that helps people spread the word about this holiday week.

Reducing Your Burn Risk

Below are some tips for reducing your household’s burn risk. Let’s take a quick look, shall we?

• Keep children 3 feet away from the stove.
• Turn pot handles inward so the pots are less likely to be pulled down.
• Wear appropriate clothing while cooking.

Observing Burn Awareness Week

One of the best ways to observe this holiday week is by spreading the news about it. This can be done by talking to your boss at work or a local politician to share the importance of Burn Awareness Week. It can also be done via the internet using the hashtag #BurnAwarenessWeek. Once that’s done, it’s then important for each household to assess their own burn injury risk and take steps to make their home safer.