It’s a hot day, time to get out the hose and sprinkler. But STOP! Run the hot water out of your hose until it runs cool.
Most of us would never think about it, but when a hose is sitting in the sun, the water inside is heating up. It can reach 55 to 60 degrees Celsius which can cause burns especially to children and animals.
The best way to prevent this is simply to let the stored hot water run cool before spraying it on someone.
According to Kidsafe NSW, burns and scalds of children aged 0 to 4 years, are a leading cause of injury resulting in hospitalisation. “Most happen at home and are largely preventable,” it states on its website.
If a burn or scold does occur, Kidsafe recommends you:
– Apply cold running water to the burn or scold for at least 20 minutes.
– If running water is not available, wet two cloths and alternate them onto burn every two minutes. Do NOT use ice, butter, creams, etc
– You should always seek medical attention for any burn bigger than a 20 cent piece or with blisters
