Stuart Zullo
Just about to move? Build? Would you consider your new house “KidSafe”?
According to a recent article, thousands of burn-related injuries happen in Australian households every year that are completely preventable. Most of these injuries happen to small children or infants and are associated with water-temperature.
A new law was passed in 2003, which mandated that the hot water delivery in new or renovated homes was not allowed to exceed 50 C°. However the hot water storage and delivery temperature in older-style homes still remains up to a whopping 75 C°. Whilst it is important that water is stored at this temperature to prevent bacteria from developing, it is important that if you are moving into a house where this is the case, that you call a plumber to reduce the delivery temperature to 50C°. By doing this, you could save a child’s life, or at the very least, reduce the risk of a life-long burn or scald.
A few tips on keeping your children safe from burns around the home:
- Ensure that the delivery temperature of your water does not exceed 50C°.
- Supervise your children around barbeques, ovens, stoves and benchtops.
- Keep those saucepan handles well out the reach of prying fingers!
- Ensure that all hot drinks are kept well out of the way. Watch out for tablecloths, also.
- Run the cold water first and turn it off last, when bathing small children.
- Enrol in a first aid course to ensure that you can act at a second’s notice if an emergency occurs.
More information can be found at the Kidsafe website.