Scald Safety

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Review these guidelines for steps you can take to prevent infants and children from being scalded:

Do not leave an infant or child alone in a bathtub or sink. Take the child out of the water and with you to respond to a distraction or problem.
Hot water levels in you home can be controlled by turning down the temperature in the water heater or by installing a hot water control gauge on your faucets. This product typically can be found in home improvement or hardware sections of stores. Set your water heater thermostat at 120 degrees.
Turn handles of pots and pans on your stove, kitchen counter, or kitchen table inward and out of reach of an infant or child.
Check the temperature of a child's bath water. Water that may seem acceptable to an adult's touch potentially could be too hot for a child. A water temperature thermometer can be purchased in most home improvement or hardware sections of stores.
Review expectations for child bath safety, kitchen safety, and emergency phone numbers with anyone providing care for your children.
Sometimes, food and drink can be too hot for babies and children. Particularly, uneven heating of food and drink in microwaves may result in burns. Check the temperature of hot foods, soups, and drinks by touch or taste. Food should be too cool, rather than too hot when serving to infants or children.
Before allowing a child to enter a hot tub or sauna with you or another adult, verify the temperature of the water. A child's body temperature may not be able to tolerate the intensity of the water in a hot tub or sauna for a long period of time.