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2.2.2 Thermal burns Thermal burns are generally resulted from exposure to or in contact with steam, flames, flash and hot surfaces or hot liquids with a high temperature. This type of burning which causes tissue injury, usually of the skin, can be classified into first degree, second degree and third degree burns. Generally, in the case of airbags, thermal burns are burns due to contact with the gas that interacts with a chemical to inflate the airbag (Taylor, 2010). 2.2.2.1 Causes of thermal burns In most vehicles airbags, hot gas is generated by a chemical process in order to allow the optimum pressure to be achieved with a smaller mass of gas. However, if the comes in contact with the skin during deployment and occupant interaction, there is a risk of causing thermal burns to the passengers. Based on the article ³Air Bag Burn Injuries during Automobile Accidents in Tampa, Florida and Surrounding Areas´, the sheer force of airbags containing hot gas is identified to be one of the factors to cause burns to the car occupants. According to Mercer and Sidhu (2005), thermal burns can be caused by in contact with hot expelled gas from airbags, in contact with hot airbags itself, and melting of clothing from either of these contacts. Besides, there are reports on so-called friction burns, which are a type of thermal burns, caused by the slapping action of the bag on skin containing hot gas as it unfolds, particularly on the face. 2.2.2.2 Effects of thermal burns According to the article ³Why Can Air Bags Dangerous for Children in Car Seats?´, an airbag fires at approximately 200miles per hour when inflates, which means it needs to deploy extremely quickly., and it requires a fortnight to recover. However in most cases,

the victims suffered minor burns. Other severe injuries caused by thermal burns are permanent disfigurement, vision problems, and breathing difficulties. The direct contact with the high temperature airbags or gas venting from airbags can lead to severe burns like second degree or third degree burns.

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