Narrative:

During turbulence, I was thrown against the oven door. My arm covered the oven exhaust valve resulting in a burn. I placed ice over my blouse, because I didn't think it was something to worry about. I felt pain during service, and I retrieved the cooling gel from first aid kit. I placed some over my arm. I took the burn package to my room and flight attendant #2 helped me to place it over my arm and covered with gauze. It was very red. Next day it was full of blisters. I saw a nurse at mia medical department. She told me I needed to see a plastic surgeon. I saw a plastic surgeon the following week. Skin came off, but I kept flying. As of today, the wound is healing. There are no signs of infection and I feel no pain, but I am concerned about scars. I believe the exhausts should not be placed at a flight attendant's face or arm level. They should be placed higher. I noticed on some aircraft, oven valves are just at the level of neck or face. This could result in a serious injury. Oven doors could be turned over to allow valves to be in a higher position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the B757 ovens are similar to the B737 ovens, but that the exhaust valves are pointed higher than the head, unlike the B757's, which point at arm level. She feels that the way the valve opening on the B757 aft galley oven doors is positioned, it could easily be resolved by turning the oven doors around and moving the hinges to the opposite side, thus pointing the direction of the steam release valve upward. She says the steam is not visible to the naked eye, and at least 10-15 flight attendants have been seriously burned by it. She has tried to get the company interested in repositioning the doors, but it has fallen on deaf ears. She would like to get her point across to the industry, and believes that the cost factor would be minimal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B757, MIA-POS, TURB. FLT ATTENDANT THROWN AGAINST AFT GALLEY OVEN EXHAUST VALVE AND RECEIVED SEVERE ARM BURN. PLASTIC SURGERY IS REQUIRED.

Narrative: DURING TURB, I WAS THROWN AGAINST THE OVEN DOOR. MY ARM COVERED THE OVEN EXHAUST VALVE RESULTING IN A BURN. I PLACED ICE OVER MY BLOUSE, BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I FELT PAIN DURING SVC, AND I RETRIEVED THE COOLING GEL FROM FIRST AID KIT. I PLACED SOME OVER MY ARM. I TOOK THE BURN PACKAGE TO MY ROOM AND FLT ATTENDANT #2 HELPED ME TO PLACE IT OVER MY ARM AND COVERED WITH GAUZE. IT WAS VERY RED. NEXT DAY IT WAS FULL OF BLISTERS. I SAW A NURSE AT MIA MEDICAL DEPT. SHE TOLD ME I NEEDED TO SEE A PLASTIC SURGEON. I SAW A PLASTIC SURGEON THE FOLLOWING WEEK. SKIN CAME OFF, BUT I KEPT FLYING. AS OF TODAY, THE WOUND IS HEALING. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF INFECTION AND I FEEL NO PAIN, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SCARS. I BELIEVE THE EXHAUSTS SHOULD NOT BE PLACED AT A FLT ATTENDANT'S FACE OR ARM LEVEL. THEY SHOULD BE PLACED HIGHER. I NOTICED ON SOME ACFT, OVEN VALVES ARE JUST AT THE LEVEL OF NECK OR FACE. THIS COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS INJURY. OVEN DOORS COULD BE TURNED OVER TO ALLOW VALVES TO BE IN A HIGHER POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE B757 OVENS ARE SIMILAR TO THE B737 OVENS, BUT THAT THE EXHAUST VALVES ARE POINTED HIGHER THAN THE HEAD, UNLIKE THE B757'S, WHICH POINT AT ARM LEVEL. SHE FEELS THAT THE WAY THE VALVE OPENING ON THE B757 AFT GALLEY OVEN DOORS IS POSITIONED, IT COULD EASILY BE RESOLVED BY TURNING THE OVEN DOORS AROUND AND MOVING THE HINGES TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE, THUS POINTING THE DIRECTION OF THE STEAM RELEASE VALVE UPWARD. SHE SAYS THE STEAM IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, AND AT LEAST 10-15 FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY BURNED BY IT. SHE HAS TRIED TO GET THE COMPANY INTERESTED IN REPOSITIONING THE DOORS, BUT IT HAS FALLEN ON DEAF EARS. SHE WOULD LIKE TO GET HER POINT ACROSS TO THE INDUSTRY, AND BELIEVES THAT THE COST FACTOR WOULD BE MINIMAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.