General News
25 July, 2022
Parents urged to keep an eye on children around hot water
With another month to go until winter ends, residents are being reminded to ease off the hot water tap around children in a bid to avoid scald burns. According to the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), many household scalds occur in the bathroom...
With another month to go until winter ends, residents are being reminded to ease off the hot water tap around children in a bid to avoid scald burns.
According to the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), many household scalds occur in the bathroom where water temperatures from taps and showers is high.
Victoria’s plumbing regulations limit heated water temperatures to no more than 50 degrees celsius in new and renovated bathrooms, however children can still receive scalds from temperatures below this.
“It’s important to make sure that you take steps to stop little ones from accidentally turning on the wrong tap and burning themselves,” VBA state building surveyor Andrew Cialini said.
It is recommended that hot and cold water are run together, with the maximum recommended bathing temperature for children 37-38 degrees, while for newborns it’s 36°.
Central Goldfields Shire coordinator Maternal and Child Health Courtney Noonan said it was important for parents to be aware of hot running water in the home, but also things like cups of tea which could cause a scald burn.
“Part of our role in Maternal Child Health is to identify safety within the home,” she said.
“Certainly when an infant or toddler starts to become active and mobile, part of our messaging is very much to be mindful or cautious of anything around the home that might cause injury or risk harm and that might be a hot cup of tea or water on the stove potentially causing a scald burn.
“We see all different types of injuries in children including scald burns, which is something we are mindful of and speak to our families about as prevention is better than treatment when it comes to burns.
“We encourage families to look at and review legitimate health information, for example the Royal Children’s Hospital fact sheets for parents provide information about burn management and safety around the home.”
Ms Noonan said in the event of a scald burn, it was important cold running water was applied to the burn and further medical attention sought if required.
“In terms of scald burns our messaging is to immediately administer first aid,” she said.
“Cold running water applied immediately for 20 minutes is really effective for managing the burn and alleviating pain associated with burns.
“The next steps are cold compresses and seeking further medical attention if it’s required.”
For more tips on how to reduce the risk of hot water burns in the bathroom visit the VBA’s hot water safety guide and the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne tips to reduce the risk of bathroom scalds to children, as well as the Kidsafe website.
For first aid tips in the case of a scald injury visit the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne burns safety guide.