Profile of burn injury in steel industry

Among the industrial workers of Bokaro Steel Plant 270 cases of burn injury were studied to streamline the cases from the site of accident, to find out the different causes of burn accident and to evaluate the result of specific management. After first-aid and resuscitating at the casualty department they were treated in intensive burn unit. The most vulnerable age for burn injury were the patients of 21-30 years. Maximum number of cases were seen due to electrical flash (78 cases or 28.9%) and slag burn (70 cases or 25.9%). Flame burn (39 cases or 14.4%), electrical contact (30 cases or 11.1%), gaseous burn (20 cases or 7.4%), scald (18 cases or 6.7%) and chemical burn (15 cases or 5.6%) were accounting for the rest. Adequate safety education to young employees, prompt transport to hospital, nursing in isolated area and early excision of eschar reduced the mortality and morbidity of burn injury.