It can feel great to get outside after many months of being stuck inside, whether that means lighting a bonfire, BBQing dinner or lighting off some fireworks to celebrate Victoria Day.

The May long weekend also marks the beginning of ‘trauma season’, and our Ross Tilley Burn Centre (RTBC) has already started to see a spike in admissions of patients who have been burned in bonfires or scalded while cooking. However, there are a few simple things you can do to stay safe and injury-free.

Dr. Marc Jeschke, medical director of the RTBC at Sunnybrook, says that common sense can prevent many of the injuries they see each summer.

“In the summer, you’re more relaxed, maybe some alcohol is involved. This is when burn injuries can happen,” says Dr. Jeschke. Here are some of the most common causes of burn injuries RTBC staff see, and how to prevent them:

BBQs and fire pits

When barbecuing, Dr. Jeschke says, stick to the rules: use fireproof gear, don’t put gasoline or igniter fluid on the grill and don’t wear loose, flowing clothing while cooking.

“With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close, and the fire ignites the clothes. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke.

He recommends waiting until after you’ve finished cooking to consume alcohol. The same principle applies to tabletop fireplaces, which have been growing in popularity as a backyard patio feature.

“These can be dangerous because they’re at the exact same height as small children and pets. Keep loose clothing away from these too, and don’t throw any accelerants on them,” he says.

Ethanol-fueled fire pots

Ethanol-fueled fire pots are often more decorative in nature, set on tabletops or in small bowls or pots, but don’t let that fool you: they are dangerous because they use highly flammable fuels, like butane and ethanol. In fact, Health Canada issued a consumer warning in 2019 and asked manufacturers to stop selling these products.

“Explosions can happen when you try to re-light the fire, because there can still be fumes or low flames that can ignite during the refuelling process,” says Anne Hayward, a social worker at the RTBC.

If you have an ethanol-fueled fire pot at home, Dr. Jeschke recommends getting rid of it.

“We’ve seen way too many people injured while refueling ethanol fire pots. It can happen to anyone. They are dangerous, and they can be deadly,” he says.

The post Tips for preventing burn injuries this summer appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Whether you’re staying in the city, heading to a cottage or taking your chances with the weather and going camping, there are a few simple things you can do to stay safe and injury-free.

Dr. Marc Jeschke, medical director of Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre (RTBC), says that common sense can prevent many of the injuries his centre sees each summer.

“In the summer, you’re more relaxed, maybe some alcohol is involved. This is when burn injuries can happen,” says Dr. Jeschke. Here are some of the most common causes of burn injuries RTBC staff see, and how to prevent them:

BBQs

When barbecuing, Dr. Jeschke says, stick to the rules: use fireproof gear, don’t put gasoline or igniter fluid on the grill and don’t wear loose, flowing clothing while cooking.

“With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close, and the fire ignites the clothes. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke.

He recommends waiting until after you’ve finished cooking to consume alcohol. The same principle applies to tabletop fireplaces, which have been growing in popularity as a backyard patio feature.

“These can be dangerous because they’re at the exact same height as small children and pets. Keep loose clothing away from these too, and don’t throw any accelerants on them,” he says.

Camping

When camping, there can be a lack of familiarity with the tools you’re using. For example, while you use your stove at home every day, you don’t use your camp stove every day. The same goes for cooking over an open fire or refilling lamps with kerosene or gasoline.

“Do not pour gasoline or another igniter fluid onto a fire that’s already burning, whether it’s a bonfire or a camping lamp. The fire can come right back up into the container you’re holding, which will then explode,” he says.

Always have a container of water nearby or a garden hose on standby before starting the fire.

Fireworks

“Fireworks can be dangerous because if a large number of fireworks blow up, you get explosive burns,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Read safety instructions for fireworks before using them, and don’t let children be around them unattended. Don’t use fireworks inappropriately, like letting them explode in your hands or holding them while igniting them.

If you do suffer a burn:

If it’s a significant burn, call 911. While waiting for help to arrive, don’t put butter, vinegar, oil or lemons on the burn.

“The best initial treatment for all burns is cool running water. Don’t soak the injured area, just let the water run over it,” says Dr. Jeschke.

The post How to fireproof your summertime plans appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Is your family prepared?

Disasters may be beyond our control, but by taking some simple steps, you can be better prepared to protect yourself and your family during an emergency.

Step 1: Make a plan

Every household should have an emergency plan. Your family’s emergency plan should identify:

• Safe exits from your home
• Meeting places to reunite with your family
• Any special health needs of your family members
• Contact information for your family members, family doctor, insurance company, etc.
• The location of your emergency kit, fire extinguisher, electrical panel, and water and gas valves
• A plan for your household pet(s)

Need help getting started? We recommend creating your family’s emergency plan using the Government of Canada’s free online tool. Your plan should take less than 20 minutes to create and can be saved or printed out. Remember to keep your plan in an easy-to-remember place – or print multiple copies of the plan to leave at work and in your car.

Step 2: Get an emergency kit

In an emergency, you will need some basic supplies. These supplies should be organized in a backpack, duffle bag, or wheeled bin and stored in an accessible location, such as your front hall closet. Your emergency kit should include the following items:

• Water – at least two liters per person per day
• Extra batteries
• Non-perishable food items
• Extra keys to your car and house
• A manual can opener
• Some cash in smaller bills
• A crank or battery-powered flashlight
• A copy of your family’s emergency plan
• A crank or battery-powered radio
• If applicable, prescription medicine, infant formula, medical equipment, and pet food
• First aid kit

Creating your emergency kit doesn’t need to be expensive. You can start by buying a few items today and commit to building your kit over time. Need help getting started? We recommend checking out the City of Toronto’s tips for preparing your family on a budget.

Step 3: Be informed

Lastly, be prepared by being informed. There are several ways that you can be aware of hazards, risks, and potential emergencies in our community:

1. Monitor your telephone, radio, or wireless device for emergency alerts from “Alert Ready”
   Alert Ready is Canada’s emergency alerting system. This system is designed to deliver critical and potentially life-saving alerts to all Canadians. Upon receiving an alert, take immediate action to protect you and your family.
2. Subscribe to receive preparedness information and tips from the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management
   In Ontario, you can subscribe to receive emergency information and seasonal preparedness tips by email or text. Click here to learn more about this service.
3. Follow social media
   You can follow @OntarioWarnings on Twitter and Emergency Management Ontario on Facebook to stay informed!

~This post was updated Jan. 15, 2020.

The post Three steps to prepare your family for an emergency appeared first on Your Health Matters.

We spoke with former burn patients Fangshu Yu and Shintaro Tsukamoto. They have never met, but their stories are eerily similar. Both were in second-year university, living in off-campus housing, when they were seriously injured in house fires. They each only narrowly escaped, leaving both with extensive burns that required skin grafts.

Fangshu and Shintaro were both treated at Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre, and now want to share their stories to help others avoid ending up in similar situations.

1) Look

Look for potential fire hazards around your home. According to the Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal, there are a few things you can do, including:

• Always stay in the kitchen while cooking. If you must leave, turn off the stove.
• Encourage smokers to smoke outside. Always extinguish cigarettes in large, deep ashtrays that cannot be knocked over.
• Check electrical cords for damage such as fraying or nicks. A damaged cord can expose wires and result in a potential shock or fire hazard.

Simple activities like smoking and cooking can become deadly if you fall asleep. Dropping a lit cigarette onto the carpet or leaving a stove unattended can ignite a fire very quickly. Use good judgement, particularly if alcohol or other substances are involved.

2) Listen

Listen for the smoke alarms in an emergency. Make sure there are working smoke detectors in your home and test them regularly. Confirm that everyone knows the sound of the smoke alarms and can hear them in an emergency. There is no time to spare in a fire – early detection gives you the extra seconds you need to get out safely.

Not being able to hear the smoke detectors when the fire started was a factor in both Fangshu’s and Shintaro’s experiences – and in Shintaro’s case, there were no working smoke detectors at all.

“Working smoke detectors are so important. If they had been working in my house, maybe I would’ve had more time to get out,” Shintaro says.

Fangshu’s home did have smoke detectors, “but by the time I heard them going off, the smoke was so black and thick that I couldn’t see anything. When I opened my bedroom door, smoke just came pouring in,” she says.

Fangshu Yu, left, and Shintaro Tsukamoto were both injured in fires in their off-campus rental homes.

3) Learn

Learn two ways out of every room. Practice a home fire escape plan with everyone in your home before a fire starts so you and your family can get out quickly.

Fangshu and Shintaro each had only one way out of their homes because they were unable to escape through the windows; Fangshu’s didn’t open far enough, while Shintaro’s basement window was too small to fit through. Both were forced to leave their rooms and navigate dangerous, smoke-filled hallways and staircases in order to escape.

“If the window opened further, maybe things would have turned out differently,” says Fangshu. She received extensive burns to her arms and hands as she crawled along the floor to escape through the front door.

“Basements are not an ideal place to live, because many of them don’t have direct exits. Make sure there’s a way for you to safely escape in the event of a fire,” says Shintaro, who passed out from smoke inhalation while trying to unlock the back door after escaping from his basement bedroom.

He eventually regained consciousness and got out of the house, but the extreme heat generated by the fire caused thermal burns to Shintaro’s hands, arms, neck and face while he was unconscious. The smoke Shintaro inhaled during the fire also damaged his lungs, meaning he was intubated and unable to speak for weeks.

4) Get out and stay out

When smoke alarms sound in an emergency, get out immediately and call 9-1-1 from outside. Never re-enter a burning building.

“It was probably a minute from the time I heard the smoke detector until I got out of the house,” Fangshu says. “Another minute after that, I could see the whole main floor in flames.”

If you do get a burn, the best initial treatment is cold water. If it’s a significant burn, call 9-1-1 and get to the nearest hospital. Do not attempt to use homemade remedies on the burn, such as butter, vinegar, oil or lemon.

The post How to prevent yourself from being injured in a fire appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Fangshu Yu, left, and Shintaro Tsukamoto were both seriously injured in fires in their off-campus rental homes.

Each year, the health care team at Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre sees far too many students injured by fires in unsafe off-campus housing.

“Windows that are too small or don’t open, not enough exits, smoke detectors that don’t work – these things may not seem like a big deal, but they can mean the difference between life and death if there’s a fire,” says Dr. Marc Jeschke, the medical director of Sunnybrook’s Burn Centre.

Here, two university students share their stories of how they survived and thrived after devastating fires in their off-campus rental homes.

Shintaro Tsukamoto says that even though his injuries “caused huge setbacks in my life, I’m motivated to keep moving forward. I’ve kept a positive outlook throughout my recovery, and that’s helped me a lot.”

Shintaro’s story

Shintaro Tsukamoto, 21, was excited about moving into his new place last July. He had just completed his first year of university in Ottawa, and with only a few weeks until classes started up again, he’d found a basement bedroom in an off-campus rental house.

He had only been living there for three weeks when, one night, he heard a loud noise and glass shattering upstairs. Concerned that someone was breaking into the house, he called 911.

“That’s when the operator told me they had already gotten a call about my house, and that it was actually on fire,” Shintaro says. “I had no idea, because there were no working smoke detectors.”

The 911 operator told him to get out of the basement immediately, but he quickly realized there was no way to escape through the tiny windows.

“I left my room, walked upstairs to the main floor, and saw the entire front half of the house was on fire. I made it to the back door, but it was so smoky that I couldn’t find the lock,” Shintaro says. Overcome by the intensity of the smoke, he passed out.

He eventually regained consciousness and managed to get the door open, escaping into the backyard.

“I have no idea how I got out of there,” he says. “I think it was just pure adrenaline.”

—

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“For a long time, it was difficult and painful to speak, to make my voice heard.”

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The extreme heat generated by the fire caused thermal burns to Shintaro’s hands, arms, neck and face.

He was stabilized at a hospital in Ottawa before being airlifted to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre in Toronto, the provincial centre of excellence for burn treatment and Shintaro’s hometown. He received treatment there for three weeks, led by Dr. Alan Rogers, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in the Burn Centre. A month of inpatient rehabilitation at Sunnybrook’s St. John’s Rehab followed.

There were concerns he wouldn’t regain full use of his arms and hands, a distressing possibility for a talented athlete who had won several national championships with his ultimate frisbee team.

The smoke Shintaro inhaled during the fire also damaged his lungs, meaning he was intubated and unable to speak for weeks.

“For a long time, it was difficult and painful to speak, to make my voice heard,” he says.

Now, Shintaro wants to use his experience to tell other students how they can avoid ending up in a similar situation.

“Basements are not an ideal place to live, because many of them don’t have direct exits. Make sure there’s a way for you to safely escape in the event of a fire. Working smoke detectors are so important – if they had been working in my house, maybe I would’ve had more time to get out,” he says.

Shintaro was living in the house with people he didn’t know, which meant it was unclear to first responders how many people were actually home when the fire started. Having your housemates’ cellphone numbers, or even having a group chat set up, would be helpful in the event of an emergency.

He also advises taking your time when choosing somewhere to live.

“I was rushing, so I overlooked things about the house,” he says. “Survey all of your housing options, and make sure you feel comfortable. Your safety is the most important thing.”

—

Shintaro describes his recovery as a long, slow road. Still, he counts himself as one of the lucky ones.

“Even though these injuries caused huge setbacks in my life, I’m motivated to keep moving forward. I’ve kept a positive outlook throughout my recovery, and that’s helped me a lot,” he says.

Shintaro has spent the last year recovering, working and even traveling to Japan to visit family.

This month, he is finally set to return to Carleton University for his second year of studies in the human rights program. With help from his friends, he’s found a new rental house that he feels comfortable living in. He’s also looking forward to returning to the field with his ultimate frisbee teammates.

“My hands and arms have healed really well and I pretty much have full function, thankfully,” he says. “My voice is better too. It’s definitely gotten deeper, although maybe that’s not such a bad thing!”

Dr. Marc Jeschke examines Fangshu Yu’s arms and hands during a follow-up appointment at Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre.

Fangshu’s story

Fangshu Yu, 20, gently takes off the pressure garments she wears for 23 hours a day, covering the skin from her shoulders all the way to her fingertips. Dr. Marc Jeschke nods approvingly as he examines her arms and hands. “Your skin is healing really nicely,” he says.

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“If the window opened further, maybe things would have turned out differently.”

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Fangshu, a second-year statistics student at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus, was injured three months ago when a fire started in the basement of the off-campus rental house she shared with three other students.

“The house had smoke detectors, but by the time I heard them going off, the smoke was so black and thick that I couldn’t see anything. When I opened my bedroom door, smoke just came pouring in,” she says.

While Fangshu’s bedroom was on the main floor of the house, the window didn’t open up far enough in order for to her jump out.

“If the window opened further, maybe things would have turned out differently,” she says.

Instead, she dropped to the ground and started crawling toward the front door. Covering her mouth with one hand, she held her cellphone in the other, using its flashlight function to navigate the pitch black, smoke-filled hallway.

Though it was only a short distance to the front door, she could feel herself losing consciousness.

“I got so tired, I had to stop and take a break,” she says.

The floor, heated by the intensity of the fire directly below, caused extensive burns to her arms and hands as she crawled. She managed to make it out to the front yard, where neighbours helped her until first responders arrived.

—

Fangshu was immediately taken to the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook. There, Dr. Jeschke performed surgery to graft skin from one of her thighs onto her arms and hands. After two weeks in the hospital, she began a five-month course of outpatient rehabilitation at Sunnybrook’s St. John’s Rehab.

“I’m at St. John’s four days a week, working on getting the range of motion back in my elbows, wrists and fingers,” she says. “If I’m lucky, I may be able to stop wearing the compression garments after nine months, but I’ll probably need to wear them for two years.”

Fangshu credits the fact that she wasn’t asleep as the main reason she was able to get out of the house quickly.

“The fire happened at 2 o’clock in the morning, and I was up late, sending out resumes to try and find a co-op job for the next semester,” she says.

Sadly, while four people were in the house at the time, only three of them were able to escape the fast-moving fire.

“It was probably a minute from the time I heard the smoke detector until I got out of the house,” she says. “Another minute after that, I could see the whole main floor in flames.”

—

Fangshu hasn’t yet been able to return to school, but she’s hoping to recover enough to start classes again in January. Her mom came from China to stay with her, and has been helping her with daily tasks, from getting to medical appointments to putting her hair in a ponytail.

There are some things she still insists on doing herself, though.

“I usually eat using my chopsticks, but for now, I’m stuck using a fork,” she says with a laugh.

Despite her busy rehabilitation schedule, Fangshu is slowly getting back to a routine. She’s determined to find a co-op placement for next year, and to finish her degree. She recently moved into a new condo with her friends, and smiles when recalling the biggest selling point of the unit: the fire-safety features.

“There are smoke detectors everywhere,” she says. “There’s one in every room, out in the hallway, even in the elevator. I feel safe there.”

Fangshu Yu currently goes to appointments at Sunnybrook’s St. John’s Rehab four days a week, where she’s “working on getting the range of motion back in my elbows, wrists and fingers.”

Are you a student looking for off-campus housing? Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal has tips on finding fire-safe student accommodation.

Important things renters should know about the provincial Fire Code can be downloaded here.

If you have concerns about fire safety in your current rental accommodations, in Toronto you can contact the Fire Prevention Office by dialing 3-1-1.

The post Is your off-campus rental fire-safe? Two students survive, thrive after devastating fires appeared first on Your Health Matters.

“We know that every year fire kills 400 people in Canada, and the majority of these deaths occur in the home,” says Joanne Banfield, Manager of Trauma Injury Prevention at Sunnybrook.

With National Fire Prevention Week happening this week, the National Fire Protection Association is reminding everyone that smoke alarms don’t last forever. In fact, they need to be replaced every 10 years.

Not sure how old your alarms are? Simply remove the alarm from the wall or ceiling, and look at the date of manufacture on the back of the alarm. If the alarm is more than 10 years old, replace it with a new one. If it’s less than 10 years old, you can put it back – just be sure to replace the batteries before you do.

Having working smoke alarms in your home is the best way to alert you to a fire, and will help get you and your family safely out of the home (and keep you out of the hospital!). Test your alarms monthly by pressing the test button to ensure they are functioning properly. Remember, it’s the law to have working smoke alarms on every story of your home and outside of sleeping areas.

The post When should you replace your smoke alarms? appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Just in time for the holidays, the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council has released a list of 12 fire safety tips. Fire safety is an important topic at any time of year, but there are a few added precautions you can take to keep your family and loved ones safe this holiday season:

1. Water fresh trees daily – Keep the base of the trunk in water at all times, and place your tree away from any ignition source like fireplaces, heaters or candles.

2. Check all lights before decorating – Discard any sets of lights that are frayed or damaged. Never plug more than 3 strings of lights together, and don’t connect LED to conventional lights.

3. Make sure smoke alarms work and replace any over 10 years old – It’s the law to have working smoke alarms on every storey of your home and outside sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and replace batteries once per year.

4. Install a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm – If your home has a wood or gas fireplace, an attached garage or other fuel-burning device, you must have a working CO alarm outside every sleeping area- it’s the law.

5. Develop and practice a home fire escape plan – make sure everyone in your family knows it, including guests who are staying over the holidays.

6. Use extension cords safely – Avoid overloading plugs and extension cords, as this can cause overheating and fire. Never put cords under rugs.

7. Give space heaters space – Keep them at least 1 metre away from things that could catch fire.

8. Avoid using real candles, go flameless instead – If you use real candles, keep them out of reach of children and pets, and remember to blow them out before leaving the room.

9. Keep matches and lighters out of kids’ reach – If you smoke, have only one lighter or book of matches and keep it with you at all times.

10. Watch what you heat – Always stay in the kitchen and pay attention to your cooking, especially if using oil or high temperatures. If a pot catches fire, carefully slide a tight fitting lid over the pot to smother the flames, then turn off the heat.

11. Encourage smokers to smoke outside – Careless smoking is the leading cause of fatal fires. Use large, deep ashtrays that can’t be knocked over, and make sure cigarette butts are properly extinguished.

12. If under the influence of alcohol, avoid cooking or smoking – Alcohol is often a common factor in many fatal fires.

Source: Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council: safeathome.ca/12days

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12 tips for holiday fire safety

1. Water fresh trees daily

2. Check all lights before decorating

3. Make sure smoke alarms work, replace if more than 10 years old

4. Install a carbon monoxide detector- it’s the law

5. Develop and practice a fire escape plan

6. Use extension cords safely

7. Give space heaters at least one metre of space

8. Avoid using real candles- go flameless instead

9, Keep matches and lighter out of kids’ reach

10. Watch what you heat- pay attention to your cooking

11. Encourage smokers to smoke outside

12. If under the influence of alcohol, avoid cooking or smoking

Source: Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council: safeathome.ca/12days

health.sunnybrook.ca

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