Preventing burns: kids and toddlers safety

Burns are painful, and they damage your toddler's skin. Here's what you can do to help prevent them:

• Keep the handles of hot pots and pans turned towards the inside of the hob at all times, even when you think your child's not around.

• Cover or barricade exposed heaters and heater grates.

• Screen or barricade fireplaces, grills and any other place in your house that has a hot surface.

• Set your hot water heater to 48 °C or lower to avoid accidental scalds.

• Test the temperature of the bath water with the inside of your wrist or elbow before you put your toddler in.

• Get locking taps to prevent your child from giving herself a rinse with too-hot water.

• Get electrical cables out of the way. If your child bites them, she can get a terrible burn.

If your child does get burnt and develops blisters, she has a second-degree burn. Take her to your healthcare provider for proper treatment. Burns on your toddler's hands and face also need special attention, so don't hesitate to have them looked at, even if they're small.