Scald Prevention
Simple
advice from the Home Safety Council
A
scald is an injury caused by hot liquid or steam.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),
approximately 3,800 injuries and 34 deaths occur in the home
each year due to scalding from excessively hot tap water.
The majority of these accidents involve older adults and
children under the age of five.
People of all ages can be burned by liquid at 140 degrees
Fahrenheit in as few as thirty seconds. It takes only five
seconds for a young child to be injured by 140 degree liquid;
and only one second at 160 degrees. According to a Home
Safety Council survey of American parents, 71.5 percent of those
surveyed did not know the correct setting for their hot water
heater, 120 degrees F.
Follow this simple advice from the Home Safety Council to
help reduce the risk of scald injuries at home:
Set your water heater at
120 degrees F or less or just below the medium
setting
Test the water before
your children get in the tub.
When children are in the
tub, watch them closely.
Babies and young children have delicate skin.
Install special tub spouts and shower heads that
prevent hot water burns.
When drinking hot drinks, keep them away from the
edge of tables and counters so children can not
reach them.
Put hot drinks and food
in the middle of the table. Do not put hot
drinks on low tables, where children can reach them.
Avoid drinking hot
drinks when you are holding a young child.
Using a 'commuter mug' with a tight fitting lid can
help reduce a hot spill if the beverage tips over.
Treat a minor burn
injury immediately with cool running water for 3-5
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 to the injured area.
If the scald is serious,
get medical treatment fast.
Use heavy pot holders
when cooking.
Keep children away from
the range when you are cooking.
Test micro-waved and
heated food for heat before feeding young children.
A
scald is an injury caused by hot liquid or steam.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),
approximately 3,800 injuries and 34 deaths occur in the home
each year due to scalding from excessively hot tap water.
The majority of these accidents involve older adults and
children under the age of five.
The
