RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

November 6, 2006
ACTION NEEDED TO CUT BURNS AND SCALDS AMONG CHILDREN

A call for action to reduce the number of horrific burn and scald injuries among children was being made at the RoSPA National Home Safety Congress today.

More than 37,000 under-16s go to hospital each year seeking treatment for a burn or scald and ten children under the age of five are admitted to hospital each day.

Keynote speaker Mary Creagh, MP for Wakefield, will open the RoSPA event in Harrogate with details of the Hot Water Burns Like Fire campaign.

The campaign, which wants Thermostatic Mixing Valves (TMVs) to be fitted in all new and refurbished homes to set bath tap water temperature to a maximum of 48°C, is currently callling for the issue of hot water safety to be included in a planned consultation on the water efficiency aspect of the Building Regulations.

TMVs became mandatory in new and refurbished homes in Scotland earlier this year, but there has not yet been a change in regulations covering the rest of the UK.

Carolyn Cripps, OBE, Director of the Children’s Fire and Burn Trust, Eric Winter, Technical Manager at Reliance Water Controls, and Ashley Maw, Community Development Trainer at the Whoops! Child Safety Project in Gateshead, will also talk about initiatives to reduce the number of burns and scalds during the two-day congress.

Dawn Dcaccia, RoSPA Head of Home Safety, said: “Figures show that burns and scalds are a serious issue among children. Some infants sustain horrific injuries when hot drinks are spilled or in the course of everyday activities such as taking a bath. Many of these injuries leave a lasting legacy.

“However these accidents are preventable. RoSPA is supporting Mary Creagh’s call for legislation that would require all new homes and homes in which the bathroom is replaced to be fitted with Thermostatic Mixing Valves. Water is often delivered to baths at dangerously high temperatures – as high as 70°C in many cases – so it is not surprising that immersion in hot bath water is the most common cause of serious scalding injury. It is estimated that about 570 people are seriously scalded by hot bath water each year, and about 500 of these victims are children.”

Injury prevention advice for avoiding burns and scalds includes: when running a bath, always run cold water before hot and carefully test the water temperature; in the kitchen, always use the cooker’s back ring first and position pan handles so they cannot be pulled over; keep hot drinks out of the reach of children; and make sure all fires and heaters are well-guarded.

The RoSPA National Home Safety Congress, in association with the Electrical Safety Council, takes place at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate today and tomorrow (November 6 and 7).

See www.rospa.com/home/ for more information.