"Straight Off Straight Away”

A campaign has been launched to remind parents about the dangers posed by hair straighteners to young children.

11:41 14 March 2016

Posters urging parents to keep their hair strengthening iron away from children’s reach are being placed on GP surgeries, pharmacies, hospitals and nurseries in the Glasgow health board area. 

 

The “Straight Off, Straight Away” campaign reminds adults that hair straighteners, which temperature can reach between 210-230°C, can cause serious and life-changing burns. The campaign is part of the Family Safety Weak by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa).

 

Elizabeth Lumsden, community safety manager for RoSPA Scotland, said: "By being more vigilant parents can drastically reduce the risk of their children being injured in the home.”

 

"Although anyone who uses straighteners may be aware of how hot they are, many do not realise that they stay hot for a long time after being switched off, or may leave them unattended for a few seconds while they go to do something else - which is all the time it takes for an accident to happen."

 

Lesley Nish, senior health improvement officer at NHS GGC, said: "Each year in Greater Glasgow and Clyde we treat a number of children at our burns unit who have injured themselves with hair straighteners.

 

"While using hair straighteners at home parents can help to protect children from these horrific burns by using a heat resistant bag if they have one at home, or if they don't have one, they can purchase a heat resistant bag to use with their straighteners either from shops or online."