Forty percent of all scald injuries in the U.S. are suffered by children aged 0-4, and those scalds represent two-thirds of the burn injuries suffered by young children, according to the National Scald Prevention Campaign, 2014.

Here are some tips from the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care to help avoid scalds to young people:

DO:

• Supervise children when in the bath or kitchen.
• Place pots and pans on the back burner with handles turned away from the edge of the stove.
• Establish a “kid-free” zone in the kitchen — mark off an area at least three feet in front of the stove. If that’s not possible, cook on back burners and keep pot handles turned away from the edge so kids can’t pull them over.
• Never hold children while cooking, drinking a hot beverage or carrying hot foods.
• Teach children to open microwaved foods carefully, opening away from them so steam releases safely. Always allow microwaved foods to cool before eating.
• Never heat a baby bottle in the microwave.
• Place hot liquids and foods in the center of the table where toddlers and young children can’t reach them.
• Install anti-scald valves in the showerhead to automatically turn off the flow if the cold water is turned off while the hot water is on, and put tempering valves on faucets to keep the water temperature constant.
• Verify that your water heater is set no higher than 120 degrees F (48 degrees C) or just below the medium setting.
• Install single faucet handles in tubs and bathroom sinks.
• Test the temperature of the water by running your hands through the bath water before placing a child, or helping a child, into a bath.

Don’t:

• Leave a child unattended in the bathtub; if you must leave, take the child or children with you.
• Allow young children to adjust the water temperature, and when bathing young children, seat the child away from faucets.
• Set anything hot on tablecloths or placemats, as young children can pull them down.
• Allow appliance cords (slow cookers, deep fryers) to dangle over the counter edge.

Facts:

• The average annual cost of scald injuries in the U.S. is $44 million.
• Over 136,000 children were seen in U.S. emergency rooms for burns in 2011.
• 1,100 children die each year from fire and burns.

February 1–7 is Burn Awareness Week 2015. For more scald prevention tips, visit the Burn Center on the web, “like” on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.