Scald burns are the second leading cause of all burn injuries. A scald injury can happen at any age. Children, older adults, and people with disabilities are especially at risk. Hot liquids from bath water, hot coffee, and even microwaved soup can cause devastating injuries.
How to use this toolkit
The toolkit contains content that you can share on Facebook, “X”, Instagram, and other social media channels to increase awareness about scald prevention. You can copy this content or customize it to reach your audience.
Click on the image you would like to share – “save as” – utilize on social media platforms, website, printed material, or anywhere else you would like.
Additional Tips
- Teach children that hot things can burn. Install anti-scald devices on tub faucets and shower heads.
- Always supervise a child in or near a bathtub.
- Test the water at the faucet. It should be less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
- Before placing a child in the bath or getting in the bath yourself, test the water.
- Test the water by moving your hand, wrist, and forearm through the water. The water should feel warm, not hot, to the touch.
- Place hot liquids and food in the center of a table or toward the back of a counter.
- Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
- Open microwaved food slowly, away from the face.
- Never hold a child while you are cooking, drinking a hot liquid, or carrying hot foods or liquids.
- Never heat a baby bottle in a microwave. Heat baby bottles in warm water from the faucet.
- Allow microwaved food to cool before eating.