In the U.S. each year there are approximately 3,800 injuries and 34 deaths caused by excessively scalding hot water, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. A significant portion of these accidents involve the elderly. Burns will occur after a 6-second exposure to 140-degree water or after a 30-second exposure to 130-degree water. Even if the water temperature is 120 degrees, a 5-minute exposure could result in third-degree burns. The American Burn Association states the safest temperature for bathing is approximately 100 degrees. The Michigan Department of Community Health advised: "In nursing homes, there is a risk that residents may be scalded by excessively hot water discharged by plumbing fixtures in lavatories attached to their rooms, common bathing and shower areas, public restrooms, or other fixtures to which access is not strictly controlled. Nursing Home Rule 1317 (9) specifies that 'The temperature of hot water at plumbing fixtures used by residents shall be regulated to provide tempered water not less than 105 degrees or more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.'" Some common causes of scald burns to the elderly include failing to check the water before exposing the person’s body to it, slipping and falling in the bathtub and not being able to get up, temperature changes that occur when water is being used in other areas, and a plumbing malfunction. |
