In developed countries, burn injury claims few lives but is a common reason for people to seek medical attention. Significant burn trauma can be caused by coming into contact with heat sources such as flame, hot surfaces and boiling water or oil; exposure of the skin to acids and bases (alkalis); falling off a bicycle (friction); and unprotected earthing with electricity. The most important message about burn injury is that it is totally preventable. More than 60 per cent of injuries occur in and around your own home. The best place to start is to keep your smoke alarms functional, have an evacuation plan and be aware of the situations that put you at risk of a burn.