Almost everyone has burned their tongue on a hot drink, or pulled their hand out after feeling the water is uncomfortably warm. It's one of those things that’s assumed: hot or boiling water can hurt you.
"The water that comes from your tap—if you haven't turned your water heater down—is about 146 degrees Fahrenheit," says Annette Matherly, RN, community outreach coordinator at University of Utah Health’s Burn Center. "At that temperature, a burn can happen in two seconds."
Compare that 146º temperature to the temperature of boiling water: 212º Fahrenheit. A burn happens instantly at that high temperature.
Be wary of burn dangers in the kitchen
Contact burns in the kitchen are common and can seriously harm you and your children. It’s important for parents to monitor the kitchen area while cooking and know what to do if their child is burned.
To help avoid accidental burns, take these steps:
- Turn down your water heater temperature so it's no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Create a "no kids" zone—about three feet—around stoves, ovens, and other hot items.
- Place pots and pans away from the edge so they can’t be pulled or knocked down.
- Use oven mitts and potholders when cooking.
- Use a travel mug with a tight-fitting lid for hot drinks.
- Place pans on back burners with handles turned away.
- Put appliance cords out of reach and away from the counter's edge.
"Kids need to know that water can burn like fire," Matherly says. "The impacts can be just as life-altering—or ending."
How to Treat a Contact Burn
Accidents can happen even when taking precautions, so if you or someone near you gets burned by a hot surface, follow the four C’s: cool, clean, cover, and call.
Cool: Place the burned area in cool—not cold—water. It should remain in the water for at least five minutes. Do not make the water too cold, and do not use ice as this may cause further skin damage.
Clean: Gently wash the area with clean water and a mild soap.
Cover: Loosely wrap the affected area in clean, dry gauze to stop the air from hitting exposed nerve endings and to avoid possible infection.
Call for help: Burns can be serious injuries with lifelong impacts. If a burn appears to be serious, get professional help. A doctor can assess how a burn should be treated and watch for signs of infection.
"If someone suffers a burn injury from hot water, it is important to treat it right away," Matherly says. "Of course, the better thing to do would be to practice safety procedures and avoid the burn altogether."
