Never use butter or oil on a burn as these oils effectively seal the heat into the burned tissue
as younger children can knock or pull cups onto themselves when cruising coffee past tables. They can also pull on tablecloths when moving around, causing cups or jugs to fall on them. It’s best to avoid the use of tablecloths if you have young children, as they may also be injured by pulling knives or heavy plates onto themselves, too. Another cause of drink-related scalds is when babies or children pull or knock a hot drink out of an adult’s hand when sitting on their knee. If you’re nursing or you have a particularly clingy baby then you may have to forgo your cup of hot coffee for a while and drink iced coffee or tea or stick to water. Hot foods and cooking oils Scalds from hot cooking oils are very nasty as the oils are typically much hotter than even boiling water and the oil tends to stick to the skin and clothes more. Younger children should really stay away from the cooking areas in the house until they’re old enough to be suitably wary of hazards. Instant noodles are becoming a common cause of scald injuries, with the liquid – and the noodles themselves – falling from the cup or pot. The water might no longer be boiling, but anything above 65C is enough to cause a serious burn in a couple of seconds.
When children are older and learning to cook for themselves, they may burn themselves by taking food out of a microwave or removing a pan from the hob. It’s vital that they know to run the burned area under a cool tap immediately – even before calling you for help. Hot tap water in the kitchen and bathroom A common cause of scalds outside of the kitchen is the hot tap in the bathroom. Children can jump into a bath that’s too hot or they may turn on the hot tap while they’re in the bath or at the sink. The dangers of hot tap water It’s not just boiling or very hot water that can cause serious burns. Some domestic hot water is dangerously hot. It takes less than a second for water at 65C to cause a deep burn, while at 60C it takes five seconds. It’s 30 seconds for 55C to cause serious burns and water at 50C takes five minutes. If you’re worried about the water coming out of your taps – even mixer taps can release excessively hot water if they’re turned too far – then you need a reliable tempering valve from a supplier like Australian Hot Water. continued next page.....
www.peninsulakids.com.au
45