Hot water safety

Burns and scalds are leading cause of hospitalisation of young children. Most hot tap water scalds occur in the home. They are often caused by bathwater heated to unsafe temperatures.

There are things you can do to help prevent hot tap water scalds.

Bath safety

A safe bath temperature for babies and children is between 37°C and 38°C.

  • Run the cold water first when filling a bath. Turn the cold water off last so the water coming out of the tap won’t be too hot.
  • Bath water should be warm, not hot, before use. Check with your wrist or elbow or use a thermometer.
  • Control the temperature to your bathroom hot water tap to a maximum of 50ºC. Your licensed plumber can tell you how best to do this.
  • Install child-resistant tap attachments to prevent toddlers turning them on. You can buy attachments to fit most standard taps from hardware stores and plumbing retailers.
  • Always stay with children when they are in the bathroom.

Safety around hot drinks

Scalds can also be caused by hot drinks, boiling water, cooking and hot food:

  • Hot food or drinks can spill easily. Never hold a hot drink while you're holding a baby or young child.
  • Keep hot drinks out of children's reach and make sure any visitors do the same. 'Hot' drinks for children should only be warm.
  • Use placemats on the table instead of tablecloths so children are less likely to pull hot food or drinks down onto themselves.
  • Use the back elements on your stove first, turn pot handles in so they're not so easy to grab or knock and use a stove guard so pots can't easily be pulled off. Contact a kitchen appliance store to buy a stove guard.
  • When using cooking oil, keep your child away in case the hot oil spits or spills.
  • Refill your kettle with cold water after use. Keep jug cords out of the way — you can use curly cords, hook them up or use a cordless kettle.

Read more about preventing burns and scalds.

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