Ice is not usually recomended for use with burns. If you burn your skin, you often have reduced feeling in the area. This means that you are less likly to feel the pain from the ice f it is left on to long. The idea of water is to cool the area as quickly as possible whilst causing minimal damage. Could you not go to the bathroom, where i assume they have running water. If you are going to put them in ice, i would recomened wrapping them up first, in something like a plastic bag and only keep your fingers in the ice for a small amount of time.
Below is a general article on burns. Hope that helps.
Take care
Kim
First Degree Burn, Second Degree Burn, Third Degree Burn
There are three levels of burns:
· First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of the skin. They cause pain, redness, and swelling.
· Second-degree burns affect both the outer and underlying layer of skin. They cause pain, redness, swelling, and blistering.
· Third-degree burns extend into deeper tissues. They cause white or blackened, charred skin that may be numb.
To treat a minor burn, run cool water over the area of the burn or soak it in a cool water bath (not ice water). Keep the area submerged for at least 5 minutes
After flushing or soaking for several minutes, cover the burn with a sterile bandage or a clean cloth. Over the counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, may be used to help relieve the pain. Minor burns will usually heal without further treatment
Causes
Burns can be caused by dry heat (like fire), wet heat (such as steam or hot liquids), radiation, friction, heated objects, the sun, electricity, or chemicals.
Thermal burns are the most common type. Thermal burns occur when hot metals, scalding liquids, steam, or flames come in contact with your skin. These are frequently the result of fires, automobile accidents, playing with matches, improperly stored gasoline, space heaters, and electrical malfunctions. Other causes include unsafe handling of firecrackers and kitchen accidents (such as a child climbing on top of a stove or grabbing a hot iron).
Burns to your airways can be caused by inhaling smoke, steam, superheated air, or toxic fumes, often in a poorly ventilated space.
Burns in children are sometimes traced to parental abuse.
Symptoms & Signs
· Blisters
· Pain (the degree of pain is not related to the severity of the burn -- the most serious burns can be painless)
· Peeling skin
· Red skin
· Shock (watch for pale and clammy skin, weakness, bluish lips and fingernails, and a drop in alertness)
· Swelling
· White or charred skin
Symptoms of an airway burn:
· Charred mouth; burned lips
· Burns on the head, face, or neck
· Wheezing
· Change in voice
· Difficulty breathing; coughing
· Singed nose hairs or eyebrows
· Dark, carbon-stained mucus
Burns: First Aid
FOR MINOR BURNS
If the skin is unbroken, run cool water over the area of the burn or soak it in a cool water bath (not ice water). Keep the area submerged for at least 5 minutes. A clean, cold, wet towel will also help reduce pain.
Calm and reassure the person.
After flushing or soaking for several minutes, cover the burn with a sterile bandage (if available) or clean cloth.
Protect the burn from pressure and friction.
Over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, may be used to help relieve the pain. They may also help reduce inflammation and swelling. DO NOT give children under 12 aspirin.
Minor burns will usually heal without further treatment. However, if a second-degree burn covers an area more than 2 to 3 inches in diameter, or if it occurred on the hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks, or a major joint, then treat the burn as a major burn (see below).
Make sure the person is up-to-date on tetanus immunization.
FOR MAJOR BURNS
If someone is on fire, douse the person with water (if available), wrap the person in thick, non-synthetic material to smother the flames (use a wool or cotton coat, rug, or blanket), or lay the person flat and roll him or her on the ground. If your clothes catch fire, STOP, DROP, and ROLL.
Call your local emergency number (such as 911/999).
Make sure that the person is no longer in contact with smoldering materials. However, DO NOT remove burnt clothing that is stuck to the skin.
Make sure the person is breathing. If breathing has stopped, or if the person's airway is blocked, open the airway. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.
Cover the burn area with a cool, moist sterile bandage (if available) or clean cloth. DO NOT use a blanket or towel. A sheet will do if the burned area is large. DO NOT apply any ointments. Avoid breaking burn blisters.
If fingers or toes have been burned, separate them with dry, sterile, non-adhesive dressings.
Elevate the body part that is burned above the level of the heart. Protect the burnt area from pressure and friction.
Take steps to prevent shock. Lay the person flat, elevate the feet about 12 inches, and cover him or her with a coat or blanket. However, DO NOT place the person in this shock position if a head, neck, back, or leg injury is suspected or if it makes the person uncomfortable.
Continue to monitor the person's vital signs (pulse, rate of breathing, blood pressure) until medical help arrives.
Burns: Do Not
· DO NOT apply ointment, butter, ice, medications, fluffy cotton dressing, adhesive bandages, cream, oil spray, or any household remedy to a burn. This can interfere with proper healing.
· DO NOT allow the burn to become contaminated. Avoid breathing or coughing on the burn.
· DO NOT disturb blistered or dead skin.
· DO NOT remove clothing that is stuck to the skin.
· DO NOT give the person anything by mouth, if there is a severe burn.
· DO NOT immerse a severe burn in cold water. This can cause shock.
· DO NOT place a pillow under the person's head if there is an airway burn and he or she is lying down. This can close the airway.
Call Immediately for Emergency Medical Assistance if
Call your local emergency number (such as 911/999) if:
· The burn is extensive (for example, the size of your palm or larger), severe (third degree), or you aren't sure how serious it is.
· The burn is caused by chemicals or electricity.
· The person shows signs of shock.
· The burn is associated with smoke inhalation.
· Physical abuse is the known or suspected cause of the burn.
Call a doctor if your pain is still present after 48 hours. Call immediately if signs of infection develop. These signs include increased pain, redness, swelling, drainage or pus from the burn, swollen lymph nodes, red streaks spreading from the burn, or fever. Also call immediately if there are signs of dehydration including thirst, dry skin, dizziness, lightheadedness, or decreased urination. Children, elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system (for example, HIV) should be seen right away.
we cant actually leave the counter area (which sucks cos bathrooms are all the way upstairs) so yea, ice is really our only option... as i said, they have absolutely no health and safety considerations or anything...
thanksies though, next time i might try and put a bag or a napkin between me and the ice (would that help at all?)
and yea, now my fingers just feel a bit raw and one is a bit swollen and i think mildly blistered
and i burnt it in one of the most ridiculous work hazards ever... the trays teh cooked burgers sit on are heated to 64 degrees celcius plus, and are metal, and then metal cards (L shaped things) which get very hot, and its our job to pick them up and send them back through to the kitchen staff... and usually your fingers get slightly hot, but today i got properly burned for the first time
Nobody knows, nobody cares that I die on the inside
Nobody sees the lie that is me, as I smile on the outside
You should fill out an incident report or speak with your manager, that sounds unsafe, and I doubt you are the first person to burn yourself.
It sound like you may have a 2nd degree burn on your fingers. Make sure you do not pop the blisters and you keep them clean and wrapped up until it heals. A plastic baggie is better then a napkin beucase a napkin will disolve and could stick to the wound. Do not keep your fingers in the ice for more then a min or so at a time. The best thing to do if you have no option but ice is to keep your fingers in the ice for a min, then out for a min, then in for a min etc until your fingers have been in the ice for 5 minutes total (so it should take about 10 mins).
That should ensure that your fingers get cooled without damaging the tissue from the ice.
Well it breaks my heart to see you this way,
The beauty in life, where's it gone?
And somebody told me you were doing okay,
Somehow I guess they were wrong.
You should fill out an incident report or speak with your manager, that sounds unsafe, and I doubt you are the first person to burn yourself.
I really really dont think that they have them... and yes, people burn them selves on the food transfer bin all the time in work -/
my fingers seem to be ok this morning, but work should be interesting because there are so so many abbrasive surfaces to irritate it -/
plasters arent allowed in work without a very good reason because they cost the company money
I think I'll stick to using a cleaning cloth to move the cards today, at least it provides a tiny bit of protection for my fingers (yesterday for the last 2 hours of my shift I just asked someone else to do it if there was anyone about...)
thanks for all of your advice -)
Nobody knows, nobody cares that I die on the inside
Nobody sees the lie that is me, as I smile on the outside
ohh, and managers know its unsafe, all the ones that were there yesterday knew it had happened (it really really hurt...) but there answer was to just use one of the paper take away bags
Nobody knows, nobody cares that I die on the inside
Nobody sees the lie that is me, as I smile on the outside
When i worked at Macdonalds they had ALOT of saftey precautions, i burnt myself really bad on my arm, and the manager actually drove me to the A&E (It happened to be a second degree burn and it has keeloided over)
They sound like a **** hole, but its not Macdonalds in general, i'd certainly complain. Good luck with it, keep us informed, and like Kim and AD said, ice is a terrible solution.
And EVERY company has a accident/incident book.
On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
