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Scald burns are a common kitchen hazard and a serious health threat to children. But there are many ways to protect your children from kitchen burns.
If you're teaching your child to cook, make sure the child is closely supervised. Oven mitts, hand towels and safety devices such as fire extinguishers should be in close reach. Never leave a child alone in the kitchen, and keep hot foods and liquids away from young children.
Safety tips
Here are some more safety tips from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign in the US:
- Never hold a child while cooking or drinking hot liquids.
- Place pans on back burners and turn all pot handles toward the back of the stove.
- Be cautious when heating food and liquids in the microwave. They can get extremely hot and burn skin in seconds. Don't allow children younger than 10 to remove heated items from the microwave or the stove.
- Ensure that you and your children wear tight-fitting clothing when cooking.
- Never leave cooking food unattended. It's the leading cause of house fires.
- Keep hot foods and liquids away from the edges of counters and tables.
- Keep hot foods and liquids sitting on tablecloths or placemats out of a child's reach to prevent them from pulling hot food or liquids down on themselves.
- Unplug appliances when you're not using them and keep the cords tied up and out of children's reach.
