Scalding Water Where You Don’t Expect It

As parents or caregivers, we all have a lot of experience trying to keep kids from harm. When it comes to hot liquids, we are no doubt accustomed to keeping children away from boiling water on the stove, testing the temperature of bathwater for young kids and monitoring the heat of baby bottles. However, in the summer time, do you recognize the hose as a potential danger?

Water that has been sitting in a garden hose in the sun can reach 190 degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature is near boiling and can cause an instant burn upon making contact with skin-especially the more delicate skin of young children. Second and third degree burns are not uncommon in the summer months when temperatures rise and children unsuspectedly pick up a garden hose and turn it on,  only to find the water dangerously hot.

We can prevent these sorts of burns by keeping hoses out of the reach of children, being sure hoses are emptied of residual water after use, and monitoring any summer use of the hose-even when we are the ones to turn on the water. Of course, hoses are just one of many potential burn hazards in summer months. It is important to also be aware of exposed metal (such as car seat buckles), grills and campfires, and sunburns even on cloudy days.

This article is not part of your continuing training. To access your required bulletins you must log in using the form in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Then go to the TRAINING tab.