Burns Awareness Month: Keeping your family safe
Burns Awareness Month is a timely reminder of the personal cost of burn injuries and the need to keep our whānau safe. Read on to learn how we’re getting burned and get some handy prevention tips.
In 2025, we accepted more than 20,000 burns-related injury claims which came at a cost of more than $40 million to help people recover. This was the highest number of burns-related injuries since 2021 and the highest cost in the past five years.
In 2025
Total cost of
ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker says a burns-related injury can have a lifelong impact.
He says Burns Awareness Month is an important reminder to keep everyone in the whanau safe this winter.
“Think of injuries you’ve experienced – you can probably identify things that could’ve been done differently to prevent them.
“We can prevent most injuries by taking a few seconds to ‘Have a Hmmm’ before we get stuck in, then make smart choices.
“This applies to two of the most common causes of burns in the home. Every winter, staff in emergency rooms help hundreds of New Zealanders who are badly burnt by hot water bottles or scolding hot drinks.
“That’s why Burns Awareness Month focuses on these two causes of preventable burns.”
Young children most at risk
In 2025, ACC paid 35,815 days of weekly compensation to people who sustained a burns-related injury. The total cost of this was more than $5 million.
“If we get injured, it doesn’t just affect us – there are flow-on effects for friends, family, workmates and teammates,” James says.
The regions with the highest number of burns-related injury claims in 2025 were Auckland (7,046), Canterbury (2,448), Waikato (2,195) and Wellington (1,573).
And the number of young children sustaining burns-related injuries is alarming.
The age group with the highest number of burns-related injuries was 0-4 years (2,570), ahead of 35-39 (1,495) and 30-34 (1,476). The cost for the burns injuries for 0-4 in 2025 was $5.2 million.
Simple steps you can take
“It’s a real concern to see very young kids are most likely to sustain a burns-related injury,” James says.
“We know when children experience bad burns it can affect them throughout their lives. But, luckily, there are some simple things parents and other caregivers can do to prevent them.
“For example, always keep hot drinks well out of reach for young children, like in the middle of the table or bench instead of near the edge.
“For all situations where there’s hot water or a hot surface make sure you’ve checked it beforehand. So, for things like a hot water bottle, make sure the water isn’t boiling hot and the lid is screwed on well.
“For a hot bath, make sure the water is warm and not too hot before the kids get in and test the water yourself. Kids love to play with the taps so make sure they don’t turn on the hot tap and scald themselves.
“It’s always a busy time around dinner, and the kitchen can be a dangerous place for kids. When the oven and stovetop are on, make sure they’re always attended and it’s not possible for children to pull boiling water down on themselves.
‘It’s heart-breaking to see’
Jackie Beaumont has seen a significant amount of trauma from burn-related injuries.
She’s been the Clinical Nurse Specialist at the National Burn Centre for 15 years at Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital. She encourages parents to be present around their kids.
“We know one moment can have a lifelong consequence. We all live busy lives and it’s easy to get distracted. We need to slow down to think things through as most of these injuries can be prevented.
“It’s really important all New Zealanders take a moment during Burns Awareness Month to think about their home and make sure their family is safe.”
Tips for burn prevention
Hot drinks
- Keep kettles and their cords well out of reach for children
- Keep your cups well away from the edge of benches and tables – this can prevent children from being able to pull the drink upon themselves
- Test drinks you give to children to make sure they’re warm, but not hot
- Encourage children to be seated and still while enjoying their drink
Hot water bottles
- Never use freshly-boiled water
- If the water is too hot to touch or handle, it’s too hot to use
- Make sure the top is firmly closed
- Use it to warm the bed, then remove before the person gets into bed
- Use a cover or wrap the bottle in a towel before using – this will help prevent burns
- Check your hot water bottle regularly for splits or perishing – if damaged, get a new one
- Replace your hot water bottle every two or three years if you can afford to
- When buying a new one, choose one with a safety stamp that looks a bit like a daisy. The stamp shows when it was made and helps you know when it should be replaced
- If you do sustain a burn injury, put it under cool running water for 20 minutes
Burn injuries by the numbers
- In 2025, ACC accepted more than 20,000 burns-related injury claims which came at a cost of more than $40 million to help people recover
- The age group with the highest number of burns-related injuries:
- 0-4 year olds - 2,570 burn related injuries
- 35-39 year olds - 1,495 burn related injuries
- 30-34 year olds - 1,476 burn related injuries
- The regions with the highest number of burns-related injury claims in 2025 were:
- Auckland - 7,046 burn related injuries
- Canterbury - 2,448 burn related injuries
- Waikato - 2,195 burn related injuries
- Wellington - 1,573 burn related injuries
- The most likely place to sustain a burns-related injury in 2025 was
- in the home - 15,416 burn related injuries
- in a commercial/service location - 1,341 burn related injuries
- in a industrial place 685 burn related injuries
- at school - 617 burn related injuries
- during sports and recreation - 486 burn related injuries
- The most likely cause of a burns-related injury was preparing food or drink (3,195) ahead of employment-related tasks (1,092)
- The most common area of the body impacted by a burns-related injury were hand wrist (5,840), lower leg (3,224) and arm (2,740)