Chapter 8 - For The Safety of Canadian Children And Youth - Public Health Agency of Canada

Chapter 8

Fire-Related Injuries and Burns

HIGHLIGHTS

Among children and youth under 20, rates of death and hospitalization due to fire-related injuries and burns have declined significantly over the years. Between 1981 and 1992 the death rate fell by more than half. The hospitalization rate fell by one-third between 1982 and 1992 (Statistics Canada).

During the period 1990-1992, residential fires were responsible for 92% of deaths and 5% of hospitalizations due to fire-related injuries and burns; in contrast, scalds accounted for 1% of deaths and about 58% of hospitalizations.

The majority of burns reported by CHIRPP in 1993 occurred in a domestic setting. For all ages, the most dangerous room in the house for sustaining burns was the kitchen. The most frequent categories of burns were scalds and contact burns, and most burns occurred during play. A typical scenario from CHIRPP would be "sitting on parent's lap, she grabbed cup of hot water, spilled on her lap".

Hot tap water accounted for about 3% of burns in the 1993 CHIRPP database; most of these burns happened in the bathtub.

CHAPTER 8
Fire-Related Injuries and Burns