The FDNY and Roger Yurt, M.D., director of Hearst Burn Center, share tips, including safe grilling tips, to prevent burns and other fire injuries this summer.
Take extra care this Fourth of July and at all of your summer gatherings by ensuring that accidents do not interfere with warm weather fun.
Roger Yurt, M.D., director of the Hearst Burn Center of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and the New York City Fire Department recommend the following safety tips to avoid burns from barbecues, fireworks, and other routine summer activities:
- Barbecue grills should always be used outside and at least 10 feet away from all buildings, deck railings, and overhanging branches.
- Light the match before you turn on the gas on your propane grill.
- Never leave your grill unattended.
- Use barbecue utensils with long handles, wear short or tight-fitting sleeves, and have a garden hose or bucket of sand available to put out small grill flare-ups.
- Check out local professional fireworks displays instead of trying to do it yourself. In the weeks leading up to and following the Fourth of July, injuries from fireworks and sparklers send some 200 people per day to the emergency room.
- Stay at least 500 feet away from all fireworks displays. Fireworks can get as hot as 1,200°F and can lead to devastating burns, fires, and even death.
For more practical fire safety tips, visit the Burn Center and FDNY fire safety pages.
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is the nation’s largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,353 beds. The Hospital has nearly 2 million inpatient and outpatient visits in a year, including more than 220,000 visits to its emergency departments—more than any other area hospital. One of the most comprehensive health care institutions in the world, the hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education, and community service.
