Reducing the Risk of Scalding Burns for You and Your Family

In Kentucky’s snowy winter weather, a hot bath or shower, a cup of steaming hot cocoa, a bowl of warm soup, or a cozy hot water bottle all sound comforting – but if the water is too hot, serious injuries can result. Scalding burns occur when hot liquid or steam comes into contact with the skin, causing a burn.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, infants and young children are at an especially high risk of scalding injuries. Their delicate skin is more easily injured at lower temperatures than that of adults, and they often don’t understand the dangers of hot baths or bubbling pans on a stove top, making them more likely to injure themselves while exploring.

You can help prevent scalding burns in children and adults with these tips:

• Decrease the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees or less, so that water coming from the faucets isn’t scalding hot.
• Always test the bath or shower water before getting in or allowing your child to get in.
• Teach children not to play with the faucets while taking a bath or shower.
• Use cool-mist humidifiers around children, not hot-steam ones.
• Turn the handles of pans toward the back of the stove.
• Teach children not to play near the stove or reach for items on top of it.

If a defective product or an accident has caused a scalding burn, you may have the legal right to seek compensation. Speak to an experienced Louisville burn injury lawyer to learn more about your legal rights and options.