Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night first aid advice from British Red Cross

Here Tracey Taylor, a first aid education expert at the British Red Cross, looks at how you can avoid accidents and what to do in an emergency.

Bonfire Night

“Most people don’t realise that sparklers reach temperatures five times hotter than cooking oil,” explains Tracey. “Fireworks can be fun if carefully handled but we want to make sure people know how to help if someone does get burned.

“The key things to remember are to cool the burn under cold running water for at least ten minutes, once cooled, cover it with cling film or a plastic bag and call 999 if necessary.”

Why do you need to cool the burn?

“Cooling the burn will reduce pain, swelling and the risk of scarring,” Tracey explains. “The faster and longer a burn is cooled, the less the impact of the injury. If you don’t have access to water to cool the burn, you can use any cold liquid like juice, beer or milk.”

Why should you cover the burn?

“After the burn has been cooled, cover it with cling film or a clean plastic bag – this helps prevent infection by keeping the area clean.

“Cling film or plastic bags provide an ideal covering because they don’t stick to the burn and reduce pain by keeping air from the skin’s surface.”

What if they are burned through gloves?