Burn awareness can keep children safe from scalds

It takes only a moment, but the damage from scalding hot liquids can last your child a lifetime. Scalds – the most common cause of burns to children – are the focus on the 17th annual Burn Awareness Week.

It’s important for parents and caregivers to learn how to prevent scalds and other burns. You can take simple steps to reduce hazards at home, where the vast majority of these preventable injuries happen.

Research shows the majority of Canadian parents are not aware that the most common cause of burn injuries to children is scalds from hot liquids, such as spilled hot drinks and hot tap water.

Some valuable tips.

• Adjust the temperature on your hot water heater to 49 Celsius (120 Fahrenheit). Most home hot water heaters in Canada are set at 60°C (140°F). At that temperature, a child’s skin can burn in one second.

• When using taps, turn cold water on rst, then add hot water and adjust the temperature. Reverse Woodstoves and hot water taps are safety concerns for children getting serious burns.

• Always test young children’s bath and sink water before they use it. Never leave bathing children unattended. they may turn on the hot water or slip in your absence.

• Keep hot liquids like coffee, soup and tea in a mug with a tight-fitting lid, such as a travel cup.

• When cooking, ensure pot handles are out of children’s reach and turned toward the back of the stove. Teach your children never to touch anything on the stovetop or open the oven.

• Make sure to place a barrier around your gas replace. The glass of a gas replace can heat up to 200°C in just six minutes and will take 45 minutes to cool down.

• Teach children about the dangers of re and supervise them.

• When outdoors, keep your child away from barbecue grills and campres.

• If your child is burned, place the burned area in, or flush it with, cool water as quickly as possible. Keep the burned area in the cool water for 10 to 15 minutes. Never use ice, ointments or butter.