When is immediate help needed?
Call 997 for breathing difficulty, collapse, or a large or deep burn. Chemical and electrical burns, and burns involving the face, genitals or buttocks, also need emergency care. Seek urgent assessment for burns of the hands, feet or joints, burns encircling a limb, and burns in young children or older adults. Do not judge depth by pain alone.
Stop exposure, then cool a thermal burn
Move away from heat if safe. Remove nearby jewellery and clothing; leave anything stuck to skin. Cool the burn with cool running water for 20 minutes, starting promptly; this may help up to three hours later. For serious injuries, call for help while cooling.
Keep the person warm and cover gently
Keep the rest of the person warm, especially children and older adults; do not immerse their whole body in cold water. After cooling, use a clean non-adherent covering. Cling film can be laid over a thermal burn, without wrapping around a limb or covering the face. Do not use ice, butter, toothpaste or creams, and do not burst blisters.
Electrical and chemical injuries need different action
Do not touch someone still connected to electricity; isolate the source only if safe and call emergency services. For chemical injury, protect yourself, carefully remove contaminated clothing and brush dry powder off skin before rinsing. Flush with plenty of running water for about an hour and follow emergency instructions. Do not try to neutralise it with another chemical. Identify the substance to responders if known.
Smoke exposure and people needing extra care
Smoke inhalation needs assessment; cough, throat pain and breathing difficulty may be delayed. Seek early advice for someone with diabetes or reduced immunity, or whenever severity is uncertain. Do not enter a smoke-filled area; leave rescue to emergency responders. To help prevent treadmill injuries, keep young children away at all times; unplug it and store its safety key securely when not in use.
What happens after first aid?
A clinician selects dressings and follow-up. Seek review for increasing pain or redness, odour, discharge or fever, or a wound not healed within two weeks. Scarring and reconstruction are discussed after the injury has been assessed and treated.