Safe Hot Water Temperature Research Articles

Fire and scald burn risks in urban communities: who is at risk and what do they believe about home safety?

While largely preventable, fire and hot water-related injuries are common in the United States. Measures recommended to reduce these injuries are smoke alarms (SAs) and lowered hot water temperatures. This study aims to: (i) describe the prevalence of working SAs and safe water temperatures among low-income, urban communities and (ii) explore the relationship between these behaviors and individuals' knowledge and beliefs about them. In this cross-sectional study, the Health Belief Model was used as a guide for understanding the safety behaviors. A total of 603 households had their SAs and hot tap water temperatures tested and were surveyed about their knowledge and beliefs related to these safety behaviors. We found that 40% of households had working SAs on every level and 57% had safe hot water temperatures. Perceived severity and self-efficacy were significantly associated with SA coverage, whereas perceived susceptibility and beliefs about benefits were significantly associated with safe hot water temperatures. This study demonstrates the need to increase the number of homes with working SAs and safe hot water temperatures. Messages focused on a safe home environment could communicate the ease and harm reduction features of SAs and benefits and risk reduction features of safe hot water temperatures.

Still Too Hot

Although water heater manufacturers adopted a voluntary standard in the 1980s to preset thermostats on new water heaters to 120°F, tap water scald burns cause an estimated 1500 hospital admissions and 100 deaths per year in the United States. This study reports on water temperatures in 976 urban homes and identifies water heater and household characteristics associated with having safe temperatures. The temperature of the hot water, type and size of water heater, date of manufacture, and the setting of the temperature gauge were recorded. Demographic data, including number of people living in the home and home ownership, were also recorded. Hot water temperature was unsafe in 41% of homes. Homeowners were more likely to have safer hot water temperature (<120°F) than renters (63 vs 54%; P < .01). For 11% of gas water heaters, the water temperature was >130°F, although the gauge was set at less than 75% of its maximum setting. In a multivariate logistic regression, electric water heaters were more likely to have safe hot water temperatures than gas water heaters (odds ratio R=4.99; P < .01). Water heaters with more gallons per person in the household were more likely to be at or below the recommended 120°F. Our results suggest that hot water temperatures remain dangerously high for a substantial proportion of urban homes despite the adoption of voluntary standards to preset temperature settings by manufacturers. This research highlights the need for improved prevention strategies, such as installing thermostatic mixing valves, to ensure a safer temperature.

Home Safety and Low-Income Urban Housing Quality

Living in substandard housing may be one factor that increases the risk of fire and burn injuries in low-income urban environments. The purposes of this study are to (1) describe the frequency and characteristics of substandard housing in urban homes with young children and (2) explore the hypothesis that better housing quality is associated with a greater likelihood of having working smoke alarms and safe hot water temperatures. A total 246 caregivers of children ages 0 to 7 years were recruited from a pediatric emergency department and a well-child clinic. In-home observations were completed by using 46 items from the Housing and Urban Development's Housing Quality Standards. Virtually all homes (99%) failed the housing quality measure. Items with the highest failure rates were those related to heating and cooling; walls, ceilings, and floors; and sanitation and safety domains. One working smoke alarm was observed in 82% of the homes, 42% had 1 on every level, and 62% had safe hot water temperatures. For every increase of 1 item in the number of housing quality items passed, the odds of having any working smoke alarm increased by 10%, the odds of having 1 on every level by 18%, and the odds of having safe hot water temperatures by 8%. Many children may be at heightened risk for fire and scald burns by virtue of their home environment. Stronger collaboration between housing, health care, and injury prevention professionals is urgently needed to maximize opportunities to improve home safety.

Fire and burn risks to children: exploring the role of housing quality

BackgroundThe increased risk to low income, urban children from fire and burn injuries is well documented. However, little is known about how housing quality affects young children's injury risk, even...

STILL TOO HOT: AN EXAMINATION OF OBSERVED WATER TEMPERATURE, WATER HEATERS CHARACTERISTICS AND SELF- REPORTED TESTING BEHAVIOUR IN A SAMPLE OF URBAN HOMES

BackgroundTap water burns result in an estimated 1500 hospital admissions and 50 deaths in the USA annually despite national efforts to preset water heaters at the factory.Aims/Objectives/PurposeThis study reports on...

Home injury risks in homes of urban dwelling seniors and disabled persons

PurposeSeniors and disabled persons suffer disproportionate risks from fires, scalds and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning compared to the general population. Little has been done to evaluate the presence of injury...

Housing Interventions and Control of Injury-Related Structural Deficiencies

Subject matter experts systematically reviewed evidence on the effectiveness of housing interventions that affect safety and injury outcomes, such as falls, fire-related injuries, burns, drowning, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat-related deaths, and noise-related harm, associated with structural housing deficiencies. Structural deficiencies were defined as those deficiencies for which a builder, landlord, or home-owner would take responsibility (ie, design, construction, installation, repair, monitoring). Three of the 17 interventions reviewed had sufficient evidence for implementation: installed, working smoke alarms; 4-sided isolation pool fencing; and preset safe hot water temperature. Five interventions needed more field evaluation, 8 needed formative research, and 1 was found to be ineffective. This evidence review shows that housing improvements are likely to help reduce burns and scalds, drowning in pools, and fire-related deaths and injuries.

The effect of education and home safety equipment on childhood thermal injury prevention: meta-analysis and meta-regression

Objective:To evaluate whether home safety education and safety equipment provision increases thermal injury prevention practices or reduces thermal injury rates and whether the effect of interventions differs by social group.Methods:Systematic...

Injury Prevention Counseling Opportunities in Pediatric Otolaryngology

To determine the prevalence of injury prevention counseling opportunities in children referred to a pediatric otolaryngologist. A caregiver questionnaire was administered during office registration. Hospital-based pediatric otolaryngology practice in a metropolitan area. Random sample of 300 caregiver questionnaires stratified by the age of the child. Prevention counseling opportunities, defined as ignorance of hottest water temperature, child exposure to passive smoke, missing smoke detectors on one or more floors in the home, or failure to use a seat belt or bicycle helmet. The hottest water temperature was unknown by 72% of the caregivers, smokers were present in 25% of the households, bicycle helmets were not used by 22% of the children, car seats or seat belts were not used by 11% of the children, and 10% of the homes did not have a working smoke alarm on each floor. Older children were significantly less likely to use a seat belt than were younger children. Although 98% of the caregivers had a regular pediatrician, 91% of the families still offered one or more counseling opportunities (95% confidence interval, 87% to 94%). Substantial opportunities exist for injury prevention counseling in pediatric otolaryngology. At least one opportunity for counseling is present for about 90% of the families, most often concerning the maximum safe hot water temperature.

W.A.S.T.E

In Reply.— TIPP-The Injury Prevention Program, inaugurated by the American Academy of Pediatrics in April 1983, is gaining acceptance by pediatricians as an essential aspect of the care they provide their patients. The major aim of TIPP is to give parents the impetus to acquire for their children the protection afforded by: (1) child car restraints, (2) smoke detectors, (3) safe hot water temperatures at the tap, (4) window and stairway guards/gates, and (5) a 1-oz bottle of Syrup of Ipecac.