These tips can prevent all degrees of scalding, further physical injury, and may even save someone’s life. These are especially important when caring for babies, children, the elderly and disabled people:

• Always test water temperatures for baths and showers before using them

• Don’t take hot water for granted

• Use the right or left little finger to test bath water for babies and children, but preferably use a thermometer for a more accurate reading

• Never leave children or disabled people unattended while bathing or showering

• Never leave children unattended in the bathroom

• Incorporate anti-scald products into all sinks, baths and showers

• Incorporate and always use pressure-balancing valves to balance water temperatures in showers

• Avoid leaving unattended hot drinks or liquids

• Avoid leaving hot drinks and foods with hot liquids on tabletops with tablecloths that are hanging so low that someone can trip over them

• Install anti-slip mats in bathtubs and showers in case anyone has to escape hot water

• Install grab bars in bathtubs and showers to help elderly or disabled people in escaping hot water

• Keep the temperature on hot water heaters below 120° F

• If a hot water does not have a thermostat, install one

• Always turn on cold water first; add hot water to raise temperature to a safe level

• Teach children about cold first and hot later method

• Never leave an elderly person or disabled person, who requires bathing assistance, alone in a bath or shower

• Always assist elderly people with diminished sensation in their hands to test water temperatures

• Never leave a running or hot bath unattended

• Never leave a young child in the kitchen when hot cooking pots are on the stove

• Always put cooking pot handles facing toward the center or back of a stove

• Never leave a young child in the kitchen when hot coffee is brewing or hot teapots, boiling kettles and cooking electric slo-cookers/crock pots are on countertops

• Never leave hot coffee pots, teapots, kettles and electric slo-cookers/crock pots near surface edges; push them to the back of countertops or surfaces

• Keep bathroom and kitchen doors closed when the rooms are not in use

• Reinforce all scalding safety rules with children, family, caregivers, babysitters and friends

• Install anti-scald aerators and scald guards which turn off hot water if temperature is too high

• Establish a safe walking zone in kitchens away from cooking, boiling or hot drink making areas

• Keep toddlers and babies in high chairs and play pens, or use a stair gate to block doorways during cooking, boiling or hot drink making times

• Lift pot lids away from arms and the face to prevent scalding from steam

• Wear short-sleeved and/or tight fitting clothes when cooking

• Always use potholders and/or oven mitts when checking or moving hot pots of liquid from stove

• Never put slippery rugs near stoves, baths, sinks or showers

• Always put hot drinks and liquidy foods in covered dishes in middle of dining table when eating

• Always use non-slip mats or tablecloths on tabletops when children, disabled people and elderly people are there

• Never carry hot drinks or liquids when holding a child

• Never use a child’s mug or cup for your hot drinks

• Use travel mugs with tight-fitted lids around children, elderly people and disabled people when traveling

• Never leave hot drinks or liquids on low tables where children can reach them

• Never leave teapots full of hot tea on low tables where children can reach them

• Put microwaves in a secure and safe location to prevent spills

• Always allow any liquid or liquidy food that has finished cooking a microwave to stand for a few minutes to avoid sudden splatters; microwaved liquids are still boiling minutes after the cooking has finished and can bubble, spit or even boil over

• Install strapping to secure microwaves to surfaces

• Never allow elderly people or disabled people who need supervision, or children to use a microwave

• Always check the temperature of heated bottled formula or baby milk before serving by letting some drip onto the back of your hand or the inside of your wrist

• Always use either vented lids or punctured plastic wrap over hot liquids, allowing the steam to escape before removal – wait about a minute – and remove lid or wrap away from arms, face and body

• Always let microwaved popcorn stand for at least one minute before opening, doing so away from arms, face and body

• Remember that microwaved semi-liquids or semi-solids will be hotter in the center even if they feel cool on the outside

• Remember that microwaved liquids get hotter than the boiling point without bubbling

• If using crutches or a wheelchair, ask someone else to move any hot liquids, use a tray with a lip to protect your lap, or use a serving trolley

• Keep hot steam vaporizers in a secure place, out of reach of children, disabled people and elderly people

• Always let hot water in hot steam vaporizers cool prior to emptying it

Sources: How Stuff Works.Com
Health-24.Com
Safety Council.Org
Maria Cope, MA, Gerontologist
Alberta Municipal Affairs
Clinical Reference Systems
Person ALMS.Com
Honeywell.Com