Burns First Aid: How to Treat Burns at Work and Home (2026)

By SKLD Training - 2026-02-22

Cool running water for 20 minutes - that is the single most important first aid step for a burn. This guide covers thermal, chemical, and electrical burns, the correct cooling technique, when to call 000, what NOT to put on a burn, and how first aid training prepares you to act without hesitation.

What to Do When Someone Gets Burned

For most burns, the single most important action is to cool the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes. Start cooling immediately. Do not use ice, butter, toothpaste, flour, or any cream or oil on a fresh burn. Remove jewellery and clothing near the burn site unless it is stuck to the skin. Cover the cooled burn with cling wrap or a clean non-fluffy dressing and call for help if the burn is serious.

Burns are one of the most common workplace and household injuries in Australia. The Gold Coast's hospitality, construction, and manufacturing sectors see burn injuries regularly - from hot surfaces and liquids in commercial kitchens to electrical contacts on building sites. Knowing the correct response in the first two minutes can significantly reduce the severity of a burn injury and speed recovery.

This guide follows the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR) burn guidelines and covers every burn type you are likely to encounter at work or at home.

Why People Search for Burn First Aid Information

Most people searching for burn treatment information are in one of these situations:

Someone has just been burned and they need to know the correct response right now.
Workplace safety officer reviewing first aid procedures for a kitchen, factory, or construction site.
Parent or carer wanting to know what to do if a child touches a hot surface or spills hot liquid.
First aid student revising burn management ahead of their HLTAID011 practical assessment.
Person who was burned recently and is not sure whether the treatment they received was correct.

Whatever your reason, the core answer is the same: cool running water for 20 minutes, starting immediately.

Learn burns first aid hands-on: SKLD Training - Gold Coast courses available

The Three Types of Burns

Burns are classified by their cause - thermal, chemical, or electrical. Each type has the same immediate cooling priority, but each also has specific additional considerations.

Burn Type	Common Causes	Immediate Action	Key Additional Step
Thermal	Flames, hot surfaces, steam, hot liquids (scalds), hot gases	Cool under running water 20 minutes	Remove jewellery and loose clothing near burn
Chemical	Acids, alkalis, solvents, cleaning agents, industrial chemicals	Brush off dry chemical first, then flush with running water 20 minutes	Remove contaminated clothing while protecting yourself from exposure
Electrical	Household current, workplace electrical systems, lightning	Ensure power source is disconnected BEFORE touching the person, then cool entry/exit burns	Call 000 - electrical burns often have hidden internal injury and risk of cardiac arrest

Burn Depth: Superficial, Partial Thickness, and Full Thickness

Understanding burn depth helps you decide whether to self-treat or seek medical attention. Burn depth is not always immediately obvious - some deep burns can initially appear minor because they have damaged the nerve endings responsible for pain.

Classification	Also Called	Appearance	Pain Level	Treatment
Superficial	First degree	Red, dry, no blisters - like mild sunburn	Painful	Cool with running water; generally heals without medical treatment
Partial thickness	Second degree	Red, wet, blistered, swollen	Very painful	Cool with running water; seek medical attention for anything larger than a 50-cent coin
Full thickness	Third degree	White, brown, or black; leathery or waxy; may look charred	Little or no pain (nerves destroyed)	Requires emergency medical care and specialist burns management; call 000

A burn that appears painless is not minor - the absence of pain in a burn area is a warning sign of deep tissue damage. Full thickness burns require specialist treatment and often skin grafting.

The 20-Minute Cool Running Water Rule - The Evidence Behind It

The 20-minute cool running water standard is not arbitrary - it is the evidence-based recommendation from ANZCOR and has been the Australian guideline since 2011. Research has consistently shown that cooling for less than 20 minutes produces inferior outcomes, and that cooling initiated up to three hours after the burn still reduces wound depth and the need for skin grafting.

The correct technique:

Use cool running water only - not ice, not ice-cold water, not iced packs. Water temperature between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius is ideal. Cold extremes constrict blood vessels, reduce tissue perfusion, and can worsen the injury.
Start immediately - every minute of delay before cooling begins increases the depth of the burn wound.
Continue for the full 20 minutes - even if the pain appears to reduce before 20 minutes, continue cooling. The heat reservoir in the tissue continues to cause damage after the surface appears cooled.
Do not apply ice - ice causes vasoconstriction and can cause additional cold injury on top of the burn. It is not a substitute for running water.
Keep the rest of the person warm - cooling a burn while the rest of the body becomes hypothermic is a real risk, especially in children and with large burns. Cover the unburned area with a blanket while cooling the burn.

After cooling: cover the burn loosely with cling wrap (food wrap) or a clean non-fluffy dressing. Do not wrap cling wrap tightly around a limb. Do not use cotton wool, fluffy fabric, or adhesive bandages directly on a burn.

When to Call 000 vs. Treat Yourself

Not every burn requires emergency services, but certain burns demand an immediate 000 call. Use this guide to assess the situation quickly.

Situation	Action	Reason
Burns to face, airway, or neck	Call 000	Airway burns can cause swelling that closes the airway within minutes
Burns that go all the way around a limb (circumferential)	Call 000	Can cut off circulation and cause compartment syndrome
Chemical burns of any size	Call 000	Chemical burns continue to deepen until the agent is fully removed; systemic toxicity is possible
Electrical burns	Call 000	Risk of cardiac arrest; internal injury may be far greater than external appearance suggests
Full thickness burns of any size	Call 000	Requires specialist burns management
Burns larger than 1% of body surface (roughly the size of the person's palm)	Seek emergency medical care	Risk of fluid loss, infection, and shock increases with burn size
Burns to hands, feet, genitals, or major joints	Seek emergency medical care	Functional areas require specialist assessment to prevent scarring and mobility loss
Burns to children under 5 or adults over 60	Seek medical attention	Thinner skin means burn depth is proportionally greater; medical review recommended
Small, superficial burn - less than 50-cent coin, blister-free, on adult	Cool 20 minutes, cover, monitor	Low-risk burn that can usually be managed without hospital attendance

If in doubt, call 000 or present to an emergency department. Burns change in appearance over the first 48 hours and what looks minor initially can be more serious.

Get trained to assess and respond to burns quickly: Book HLTAID011 with SKLD Training - Gold Coast sessions available

What NOT to Put on a Burn

Applying the wrong substance to a burn can lock in heat, introduce infection, cause additional injury, and make medical assessment harder. The following are commonly used but harmful - none of them belong on a fresh burn:

Ice or ice packs - causes vasoconstriction and can cause cold injury on top of the burn. Cool running water is the correct alternative.
Butter, oil, or cooking fats - trap heat in the tissue and create an ideal environment for bacterial infection.
Toothpaste - a very common home remedy that has no evidence base and can introduce bacteria and irritants to the wound.
Flour or baking soda - similar problems to butter: trap heat, introduce particles to the wound, and create infection risk.
Aloe vera gel (from a tube) - while aloe from the plant has some evidence for mild burns, commercial gel products often contain additives that can irritate. Leave it off in the acute phase.
Adhesive bandages or cotton wool - stick to the burn wound and cause further damage on removal. Use non-adherent dressings or cling wrap only.
Any cream, ointment, or lotion in the first 24 hours - hospital staff need to see and assess the burn without product contaminating it. Apply nothing until the wound has been medically assessed if it is anything more than very minor.

Workplace Burn Risks on the Gold Coast

Certain industries on the Gold Coast carry elevated burn risks, and the WHS Act 2011 (QLD) requires employers to have appropriate first aid resources and trained personnel on site. (WorkSafe QLD - First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice)

High-risk workplaces and their burn hazards across the Gold Coast and surrounding areas include:

Hospitality and commercial kitchens (Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Main Beach, Burleigh Heads) - hot surfaces, deep fryers, steam, boiling liquids, and commercial ovens. Scalds and contact burns are the most common injury type in this sector.
Construction and trades (Coomera, Pimpama, Ormeau, Helensvale - major growth corridors) - welding burns, electrical burns, bitumen and tar burns, and chemical burns from solvents and adhesives.
Manufacturing and light industrial (Molendinar, Arundel, Yatala) - chemical handling, industrial equipment, hot processes, and steam systems.
Automotive and panel beating (Southport, Nerang, Labrador) - welding, grinding sparks, battery acid, and hot metal contact.
Beauty and laser therapy (across all Gold Coast retail strips) - laser, IPL, and chemical peel burns are an occupational hazard in cosmetic services.
Aged care and disability support - assisting clients with meal preparation and bathing creates risk of scalds, particularly for clients who have reduced sensation.

For any workplace with a meaningful burn risk, HLTAID011 Provide First Aid training for staff is a practical necessity, not just a compliance checkbox. (training.gov.au - HLTAID011)

Chemical Burns: The Additional Steps

Chemical burns follow the same 20-minute cool running water rule as thermal burns, but with two critical additional steps.

Protect yourself first. Before assisting, put on gloves or use a barrier to prevent contact with the chemical. Chemical burns can be transferred to the rescuer.
Brush off dry chemicals before applying water. If the chemical is a dry powder (such as lime or industrial cement), brush as much off as possible before running water. Adding water to some dry chemicals activates an exothermic reaction that intensifies the burn.
Remove contaminated clothing and jewellery carefully, cutting if necessary, while protecting your own skin from the chemical.
Flush the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes. If the chemical is an alkali (such as cement, oven cleaner, or drain cleaner), you may need to flush for longer - up to 60 minutes - because alkalis penetrate tissue more deeply than acids.
Call 000. All chemical burns, even small ones, require medical assessment. The chemical may be systemic, and hospital staff need to know the exact substance involved. Bring the product container or its safety data sheet to hospital.
Do not attempt to neutralise the chemical with another substance. Adding acid to alkali (or vice versa) generates heat and can worsen the burn.

Electrical Burns: Safety Before First Aid

The most important rule for electrical burns: do not touch the person until you are certain the power source is off. If the person is still in contact with the electrical source, you will also be electrocuted.

Steps for an electrical burn incident:

Do NOT touch the person if they are still in contact with a power source. Call 000 immediately.
Turn off the power at the source - isolate the circuit at the switchboard if it is safe to do so.
Once safe, begin DRSABCD assessment. Electrical shock can cause cardiac arrest. If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, begin CPR.
Cool electrical burns the same as thermal burns - 20 minutes of cool running water over the entry and exit burn sites.
Call 000 for all electrical burns regardless of size - internal injury can be severe even when external burns look minor.

Electrical burns have two wound sites: the entry point where current entered the body and the exit point where it left. Both must be assessed by medical staff. There may also be a flash burn from the arc if the current produced an arc, separate from the contact wounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should you run water on a burn?

20 minutes of cool running water, starting as soon as possible after the burn occurs. This is the ANZCOR evidence-based standard. Research shows that cooling for less than 20 minutes produces worse outcomes in terms of burn depth and healing time. Even if the pain reduces before 20 minutes is up, continue cooling - heat is still being released from the tissue. Do not use ice or iced water - cool running tap water (15 to 25 degrees Celsius) is the correct choice. (Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation)

Should you put ice on a burn?

No - ice should never be applied to a burn. Ice causes vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels), which reduces blood flow to the burned tissue and can cause additional cold injury on top of the burn damage. Ice can convert a partial thickness burn into a full thickness burn. The correct cooling medium is cool running tap water - not ice, not ice-cold water, not frozen gel packs. This is one of the most persistent burn first aid myths, and it still causes harm when people apply ice thinking it is helpful.

What are the three types of burns?

The three types of burns are thermal, chemical, and electrical. Thermal burns are caused by heat sources - flames, hot surfaces, steam, scalds from hot liquids, and hot gases. Chemical burns are caused by acids, alkalis, and solvents contacting the skin or eyes. Electrical burns result from contact with electrical current. All three types are treated with 20 minutes of cool running water as the immediate priority, but chemical and electrical burns have additional safety and treatment steps that must be followed.

When should you go to hospital for a burn?

Go to hospital - or call 000 for an ambulance - if: the burn involves the face, neck, airway, hands, feet, genitals, or a major joint; the burn encircles a limb; the burn is full thickness (white, brown, or black, leathery appearance, little or no pain); the burn is a chemical or electrical burn of any size; the burn is larger than the person's palm; or if the person burned is a child under five or an adult over sixty. Also seek medical attention if you are at all uncertain about burn depth or extent. Burns are often worse than they initially appear.

Can you put cream on a burn?

Do not apply any cream, lotion, or ointment to a fresh burn before medical assessment. This includes burn gels, aloe vera products, antiseptic creams, and moisturisers. Creams trap heat in the tissue during the critical initial phase, can introduce bacteria or irritants, and obstruct the medical assessment of burn depth. After a burn has been medically assessed and cleaned, a clinician may recommend a specific dressing or cream - but in the first aid phase, cool running water and a clean non-adherent cover (such as cling wrap) is the only correct treatment.

What is the first thing you do for a chemical burn?

The first thing you do for a chemical burn is protect yourself - put on gloves or use a barrier to prevent contact with the chemical. Then, if the chemical is a dry powder, brush it off before applying water. Remove contaminated clothing carefully. Flush the burn with cool running water for at least 20 minutes (longer for alkalis). Call 000 - all chemical burns require medical assessment. Do not attempt to neutralise the chemical with another substance, and bring the product container or safety data sheet to hospital so clinicians know exactly what caused the burn.

Ready to train for real emergencies? Book HLTAID011 Provide First Aid with SKLD Training on the Gold Coast

Training and assessment delivered on behalf of Allens Training Pty Ltd RTO 90909.