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Practical Skills

Burns, Cuts, and Sprains: The Everyday Injuries

Ages 8–12 25 min read Beginner

These are the injuries you're most likely to encounter: a burn from a hot pan, a cut while chopping vegetables, a sprained ankle on a bushwalk. Knowing the correct first response can mean the difference between a minor injury and a major problem.

Burns

Immediate Action:

  1. Cool the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes. This is the single most important treatment. Not ice. Not butter. Not toothpaste. Cool running water for 20 minutes.
  2. Remove clothing and jewellery from the burned area (unless stuck to the skin).
  3. Cover with a clean, non-stick dressing or cling wrap (loosely).
  4. Do NOT burst blisters — they protect the healing skin beneath.

When to Seek Medical Help:

  • Burns larger than a 20-cent coin
  • Burns on the face, hands, feet, or genitals
  • Burns that go all the way around a limb
  • Electrical or chemical burns
  • Burns in children under 5

Cuts and Bleeding

Minor Cuts:

  1. Clean with running water.
  2. Apply direct pressure with a clean cloth to stop bleeding.
  3. When bleeding stops, apply antiseptic and a bandage.

Severe Bleeding:

  1. Apply firm, direct pressure with a pad or cloth. Don't remove the pad — if blood soaks through, add another on top.
  2. If possible, raise the injured area above the heart.
  3. Call 000 if bleeding doesn't stop after 10 minutes of firm pressure.

Sprains (RICE Method)

  • Rest — Stop using the injured area.
  • Ice — Apply ice wrapped in a cloth for 20 minutes every 2 hours. Never put ice directly on skin.
  • Compression — Wrap firmly (not tightly) with an elastic bandage.
  • Elevation — Raise the injured area above the heart to reduce swelling.

If pain is severe, you can't bear weight, or swelling is extreme, see a doctor — it might be a fracture, not a sprain.

Tonight's Question

"Quick quiz: someone burns their hand on the stove. What do you do FIRST? How long do you cool it for?"

Answer: Cool running water for 20 minutes. Not ice. Not butter. Water. 20 minutes.

First Aid Kit Check

  1. Find your family first aid kit. If you don't have one, make one!
  2. Essential contents: bandages, adhesive dressings, antiseptic wipes, scissors, tweezers, triangular bandage, gloves, cold pack, burn dressing, pain relief (age-appropriate).
  3. Check expiry dates on any medications or sterile items.
  4. Practise: can everyone apply a bandage to a "wound" (use a marker on someone's arm)?
  5. Put the kit somewhere everyone knows and can reach.

Go Further

  • Skill: Learn to tie a sling using a triangular bandage.
  • Research: Why does cool water work on burns? (It reduces temperature, limits tissue damage, and reduces pain.)
  • Note: The RICE method is being updated by some experts to PEACE & LOVE (Protect, Elevate, Avoid anti-inflammatories, Compress, Educate / Load, Optimism, Vascularisation, Exercise). Research the debate.
  • Question: Should every home be required to have a first aid kit?

What We Simplified

  • Burns treatment is evolving. Some newer research suggests cooling for even longer periods may be beneficial. Follow current guidelines from your local first aid authority.
  • The RICE method is debated. Some sports medicine professionals now recommend early gentle movement rather than complete rest for minor sprains.
  • This is education, not medical advice. Always seek professional medical help for serious injuries.

Sources

  • Australian Resuscitation Council (2021). "First Aid Guidelines." ARC
  • St John Ambulance. "Burns and Scalds." St John
  • Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. "Burns — First Aid." RCH

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