Turning down the heat

Prevention is better than cure, so make sure you know what to do to stop burns and scald shappening in your home

Your child is the most precious thing in your life and you wouldn’t dream of doing anything to hurt him or her. But it’s a sad fact that there are many places in your home that can hide dangers you may not even have thought about.

Research commissioned by British Gas showed that many parents were unwittingly putting their child’s life in danger. The findings were so shocking that the company decided to come up with a specialised website – www.britishgassafety.co.uk – to give help and advice to parents, as well as others. Every 90 seconds someone in the UK is burnt or scalded in an accident, with 21 people each day admitted to Accident and Emergency departments or specialist burns units suffering severe injuries from burns or scalds. Children under five are at greatest risk, suffering 3,500 severe injuries each year, resulting in 11 deaths.

However, research commissioned by British Gas revealed that 63% of homes still have no way of regulating the temperature of hot water coming into baths and sinks. A third of all parents also admitted to running the hot water tap first for baths, while half of the children quizzed said that the hot water was too hot for them to put their hands under.

Hot water needs to be stored at 60ºC to prevent Legionnaire’s disease, but if a child comes into contact with water at this temperature, severe burns, requiring skin grafts and plastic surgery, could take place within 90 seconds. Even seven seconds of exposure could lead to significant burns. That’s why it’s so important to have some way of regulating the water coming out of your taps. Thermostatic mixing valves are one way of achieving this or, alternatively, modern combi-boilers can be pre-set to make sure the water comes out at a reasonable temperature. For a young child’s bath, the temperature should be no more than 37˚C. To give you peace of mind and to make sure your child is safe, keep a bath thermometer close at hand so you can quickly check the temperature.

The research revealed that children are at risk from potential burns due to parents’ lack of safety awareness. The findings showed:

• Less than half of households (44%) have a fire escape plan so that children know what to do in the event of a fire
• 39% of parents admit to leaving things cooking on the stove when they are not in the kitchen

• Nearly a quarter of all children (23%) say their parents leave an iron switched on and unattended

• 16% say their parents leave lighted cigarettes lying around

• 19% of parents admit to carrying hot drinks when young children are around

• 18% admit to leaving candles lit in unoccupied rooms

Mark Duffell from British Gas says: ‘The research has brought out some quite alarming statistics about the potential dangers regarding scalding and burns in the home. All the more surprising when over a quarter of parents say their child being scalded is their biggest safety worry in the home, and nearly half say they are most worried about fire and burning.’

Bath water should never be above 37ºC for a young child’s bath

The dangers are compounded through lack of first aid training. despite 35% of mothers said they had taken first aid training, only 13% of their partners had. The statistics vary with the age of the child. For children aged between 13 and 24 months, potentially one of the most dangerous ages as they start to walk, only half of mothers have had first aid training, and only a shocking 5% of their partners have. British Gas has put together some simple tips to help parents be more safety conscious:

• When running a bath, make sure the cold tap is run first. Never run the hot tap first
• Get a simple water thermometer to gauge the temperature of bath water – it should never be above 37ºC for a young child’s bath
• Never hold or carry hot drinks in the vicinity of a young child and place cups with hot drinks in the centre of a table or at the back of a work surface
• Do not iron in the same room as young children – they can easily touch a hot iron or pull it on top of them with the flex when you turn your back. Make sure that the iron is safely out of reach until it has cooled down
• Never leave hot pans unattended in the kitchen when young children are around; cook on back burners and turn pan handles inwards
• Never leave lighted candles in an unoccupied room and never leave them within reach of young children
• If you’re a parent or look after children and have never done a first aid training course, then do one
• If a burn or scald happens, run the affected area under cold water for at least 10 minutes. Do not apply grease or ointments. Gently remove any clothing unless it is completely stuck to the skin. If the burn is bigger than a 50p piece, cover it loosely with clingfilm and consult your doctor immediately
• Prevention is always better than cure. Make sure you have smoke alarms fitted in your home and check out the batteries regularly
• Make a fire escape plan so all of your family know where to go and what to do in case of a fire
• Carbon monoxide is a deadly poisonous gas that is produced when gas appliances do not burn properly. Make sure all your gas appliances are serviced annually by a CORGI-registered installer and check that all flues and vents are free from obstructions. As a second line of defence, fit a carbon monoxide detector, but make sure it is a British Standard Approved – BS EN50291 with an audible alarm.

Further advice is available at www. britishgassafety.co.uk. The website also features games for children and an interactive house quiz for you to check whether each room in your house is safe

 

 

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