Baby

Stop Hot Water Burns

When getting into a shower or bath, we rarely think about getting burned. In fact, more than 75 percent of adults have little or no concern about hot tap water as a home danger, according to research conducted by Kelton on behalf of the national nonprofit Home Safety Council ® and HotStop. However, each year approximately 3,800 injuries and 34 deaths occur in the home because of scalding from excessively hot tap water. The Home Safety Council and HotStop are working together to raise awareness of hot water risks and to reduce scald injuries at home.

“Most hot tap water burns happen to children under five and older adults,” said Jill Fuller, vice president of sales and marketing at American Valve, manufacturers of HotStop. “By making a commitment to use safe hot water products and practices, caregivers can drastically reduce the number of scald injuries that occur in homes across the country every year.”

For example, replacing a regular shower head and tub spout with an easy-to-install and affordable HotStop shower head, hand shower or tub spout, will help prevent scald burns in the tub and shower. When water reaches an unsafe temperature, the HotStop device quickly reduces the water flow to a trickle. Once the water in the line cools, the flow re-starts automatically – usually in less than 30 seconds. HotStop shower heads and tub spouts are tested and listed by Underwriters Laboratories under ASSE standard 1062.

“Many people don’t know that hot water can burn like fire. It takes only one second for a child under the age of five to receive third-degree burns from water that’s 140 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter,” said Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. “Whether cooking, handling hot drinks or bathing, parents and caregivers must take action to protect their children and older loved ones from dangerously hot water.”

Scald Prevention Safety Tips

Follow this simple advice from HotStop and the Home Safety Council to help further reduce the risk of scald injuries at home:

• Set your water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower (just below the medium setting).
• Test the water before you or your children get in the tub.
• When children are in the tub, watch them closely.
• Use heavy pot holders when cooking.
• Keep children away from the range when you are cooking.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the range.
• When drinking hot drinks, keep them out of the reach of children, away from the edge of counters and off low tables. Never carry a child with a hot drink in your hand.
• Treat a minor burn injury immediately with cool running water for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not apply ice, which can harm the skin. Do not apply butter or lotions because this can keep the skin temperature hot, increasing the injury. Apply a sterile bandage.
• If the scald is serious, get medical treatment fast.

For more information, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org or www.h2otstop.com.

Courtesy of Family Features