How To Treat A Burn In The Galley
A few weeks, ago I went over what to do if you cut yourself with a knife in the galley, but what about if your burn yourself? Each year in the United States, an estimated 486,000 people are burned seriously enough to require medical treatment. That’s one serious burn every 65 seconds! Burns and scalds are one of the most common kitchen injuries. Thankfully, most burns are minor and can be treated at home without the need to see a medical professional. Let’s go over some ways to prevent burns from happening and what you should do if an accident does happen.
Ways To Prevent A Burn In The Galley
Prevention! Prevention! Prevention! Like most injuries that can happen, preventing them in the first place is the best way to protect yourself. Creating good habits in the galley is the number one way to keep yourself and your crew safe. Here are some things you can do to prevent a burn or a scald from happening:
Keep a fire extinguisher in or near the galley. Make sure it is up to date and that you know how to properly use it. The Coast Guard just released new requirements for fire extinguishers on board recreational vessels (that’s us!) which went into effect on April 20th, 2022. To read the full list of requirements follow the link here or go to www.uscgboating.org.
A boat galley is small and only one person should be cooking at a time. This will prevent you from bumping in to each other with hot items.
Try your best to not cook if conditions are rough. Sometimes even a gimbaled stove cannot keep up with a swaying ocean.
Keep kids and pets out of the galley. Pets are a tripping hazard and we all know little kids love to grab EVERYTHING.
Keep a pot lid and oven mitts nearby in case you need to put out a grease fire.
Turn pot and pan handles towards the back of the cooking surface. This prevents someone from accidentally bumping into it and also keeps little hands from grabbing them.
Use a thermos or cup with a lid. Spilling hot coffee or tea is a very common way to burn yourself or someone else. Especially on a moving boat.
How To Determine The Degree Of A Burn
Despite your best efforts, a burn or scald accident may still happen. In the event that you or someone else is burned, knowing the severity of the injury can help you determine how to treat the area and if further medical attention may be needed.
Burns are classified by degrees depending on how mild or severe it is. Below are the signs and symptoms of first, second, and third degree burns.
First degree burn – minor burn that only affects the top layer of skin. Usually caused by accidentally touching a hot stove or pan. Sunburn can also cause a first degree burn.
Skin appears red and warm or hot to the touch
The skin on the burned area is still intact
Pain and swelling
Blisters usually do not form
Second degree burn – This is a little more serious of a burn that involves the top layer of skin and some of the layers underneath.
Skin will be very red
Very painful
There may be lots of swelling and blisters
Third degree burn – A very serious burn that involves all the top layers of skin and may go into the subcutaneous tissue underneath
Burned area looks charred or blackened
It may also look white
Extremely painful
How To Treat A Burn
How to treat a first degree burn
Cool the area first. Use a cool compress or hold the area under cool, running water for at least 5 minutes
Cover the area with a sterile bandage loosely so as to not trap any heat.
After the area has cooled, you can apply petroleum jelly or aloe vera to help soothe and ease the pain. Only apply an antibiotic ointment if you know you are not allergic and have used one before without any issues.
Take an over the counter pain medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen for additional pain relief
Change the dressing daily until the area starts to heal and do not break any blisters. Let them heal on their own.
As the burn begins to heal, you may apply a scar prevention ointment like bio-oil.
When to seek help
Most minor burns will heal on their own without the need for further medical treatment. However, if you experience a persistent fever, redness that is extending beyond the burned area, or the burn is larger than the size of your palm, you’ll want to seek further medical advice.
How to treat a second degree burn
Treatment of a second degree burn depends on the size of the area involved.
If the burned area is less than 2-3 inches you may treat it at home like a first degree burn
If the burned area is large or involves the face, eyes, ears, groin, or major joints you’ll want to seek help. This is to help prevent further complications like loss of function and severe scarring.
When to seek help
The same rules apply for a first and second degree burn. If you have a fever or any signs of infection, go to the ER. If the pain is not controlled by over-the-counter pain relievers you may also want to talk to a healthcare professional.
Third Degree Burns
Third degree burns are serious and should never be treated at home. It does not matter the size of the burn or the areas involved, go to the nearest ER or health clinic right away.
How Long Will A Burn Take To Heal?
The time it will take for a burn to heal will depend on how deep the burn went into the layers of skin. A first or minor second degree burn can take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks to heal. A more serious second or third degree burn may take even longer. As the skin heals, it may begin to itch and feel tight. This is normal and you should try your best not to scratch the area. Scratching can cause small abrasions in the skin, which bacteria love, and may lead to an infection. If you are concerned about a scar appearing, once the skin has begun to heal you can apply a scar-reducing product. I prefer to use either Bio-oil or vitamin E oil. If you can’t find vitamin E oil, you can buy the vitamin E capsules and puncture them with a pin to release the oil inside.
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