Burn Danger Checklist

Give your house a room-by-room check for potential burn and scald dangers.

By Kathleen Ewald from Parents Magazine

Take the following simple steps to protect your child from injury.

Bathroom:

Set your water heater's thermostat to 120?F or lower.
Install showerheads and faucets with antiscald technology (such as MemrySafe or ScaldSafe, available at home- or plumbing-supply stores).
Always run the cold-water faucet first, then adjust the temperature with hot water.
Before putting your child in a bath, test the water by immersing your whole hand and moving it through the bath.
Unplug your hair dryer or curling iron after use and keep it out of kids' reach.
Never leave a young child unattended in the bathroom.

Kitchen:

Try to keep young children out of the kitchen while you are cooking.
Turn all pot handles toward the back of the stove.
Never cook or hold something hot while carrying your baby.
Always test food prepared in a microwave oven before serving it to your child; the food often gets much hotter than the container.
Keep kids away from a hot oven; the metal door can cause a serious burn.
Place hot foods and drinks away from the table's edge.
Keep matches, candles, and caustic substances in locked cabinets.

In every room:

Cover unused electrical outlets with safety plugs.
Keep appliance cords out of reach.
Unplug clothing irons and room heaters when you're not using them, and keep them out of children's reach.
Restrict access to exposed pipes, fireplaces, and metal radiators.

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