Mother and baby burnt as an urn with boiling water fell

A mother and her one-year-old baby suffered severe burn wounds on Tuesday afternoon when the urn she was carrying fell.

THE HANDLE OF THE URN WITH BOILING WATER BROKE

According to Prem Barlam, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) spokesperson the incident happened at around 14:34 on Tuesday.

The mother said that she had boiled water to take a bath.

“She was in the process of carrying the urn from the kitchen to the bathroom when the handle broke which resulted in the water falling on her.”

He said the one-year-old was also in the kitchen at the time and suffered burns to her feet.

“The mother suffered severe burns to both her legs.”

The two were treated on scene before being transported to a hospital by ambulance.

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BURNS PREVENTIONS TIPS

Rene Grobler, Netcare Milpark Hospital’s trauma programme manager, said most burns are preventable with a few precautions.

“People should seriously consider reducing the temperature of their geysers, as this significantly reduces the chances of scalding injuries, which are among the most common types of household burns.”

“When running bath water, never run the hot tap on its own into the bathtub. Rather, get into the habit of using both the hot and cold tap together to control the temperature of the water, which will help to prevent scalding injuries.”

“Kettles, urns, portable cooking appliances, and their cords should be kept well out of reach of children, as should pots and containers with hot liquids,” she cautions.

Simple precautions to avoid burns:

• Invest in and maintain at least two fire extinguishers in your home. Ensure that you know how to use a fire extinguisher before you are faced with an emergency situation.
• Invest in basic smoke detectors for different parts of your house, i.e. kitchen and sleeping area, or ground floor and top floor if you have a double storey house. Smoke detectors are readily available from most hardware stores.
• Never use petrol or other flammable liquids or gels to start a braai fire.
  Take extra care around fires, flame, gas, hot liquids, and cooking equipment. Do not leave children unsupervised around these potentially dangerous heat sources.
• Do not sleep with electric blankets or heaters switched on.
• Test the bathwater for babies and children. It should be comfortably warm.
• Store matches and lighters out of children’s reach. Never overload electrical plug points, as this can increase the fire risk.
• Never smoke in bed, near gas cylinders, or other flammable substances. Always dispose of cigarette butts responsibly.

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