When you think of someone being burned, what do you think of? If you’re like many people, you immediately think of fires. The truth is that there are more than 500,000 burns every year from scalding liquids. This statistic may be surprising but that’s not all – there are actually two demographics that are more likely than others to suffer from burn injuries.
The two most burn-vulnerable populations
Kids younger than five years old and seniors 65 years or older are the most likely to suffer a scalding burn injury. These injuries are not a joke – in fact, that can be deadly. In most cases, they’re the result of a parent or caregiver who’s stressed out, in a hurry, or simply angry.
Still not surprised? Consider that almost 20% of child who are hospitalized are there due to an injury caused by hot water from the tap. Third-degree burns only require a part of the body to be in contact of tap water that’s 140 degrees for five seconds to occur.
Burns from liquids are a serious issue
Other scalding burns are the result of things like coffee, tea, soup, or other hot liquids. It’s true that many people made fun of the McDonald’s coffee lawsuit, but the manager of the restaurant admitted that their coffee was routinely kept at 185 degrees – which is much higher than other restaurants did and well beyond the burn threshold.
To put it into perspective, consider how long a person must be in contact with liquid to suffer a third degree burn. At 133 degrees, it takes 15 seconds, at 140 degrees it takes five seconds, at 149 degrees it takes two seconds and at 156 degrees it takes just a single second. You can imagine how seriously a person could be burned by coffee kept at 185 degrees.
How to prevent these burns
One of the easiest ways to reduce the chance of your child or senior of being injured is to never leave them alone in the tub. Keep the temperature in the top at about 100 degrees and turning down the water heater to a maximum heat of 125 degrees. This is hot enough for most needs but is not hot enough to burn.
Another tip is to keep kids and the elderly out of the kitchen. Make sure that the handles on all pots are turned to the back to reduce the chance that they can get knocked over. Finally, when you’re moving items from the stove to your counter or table, make sure that your path is clear of hazards.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a burn accident, then you may have a personal injury case. Call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 today for your free case evaluation.
