An inordinate number of people of all ages suffer debilitating and sometimes fatal
injuries, due to 2nd and 3rd degree hot water scald burns in sinks, showers and bathtubs
each year. Young children and toddlers are especially vulnerable due to their tender skin
and inability to take appropriate evasive action promptly. The elderly and handicapped are
vulnerable due to their slower reaction time. People of all ages can incur seizures that
extend their escape time. Even without a previous history or no expectation of seizures,
burn injuries can occur due to a sudden change of hot water to a much higher temperature
with the trauma of extraordinarily hot water then inducing a seizure,
The burns are normally classified as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th degree burns. First degree
burns is a low skin penetration burn like sunburn. Second degree is a middle penetration
burn causing blisters which often become infected when the blister breaks. Third degree is
a full skin penetration burn that destroys nerves and will require skin grafts. Fourth
degree is deep burns that go through the skin and into muscle and possibly bone, which
often requires amputation of the extremities.
Scald burns occur when the time-temperature envelopes are exceeded. It is not a simple
matter of temperature only. For example, third degree burns will occur in I second at 160
degrees, or in 30 seconds at 130, 10 minutes at 120, at about 10 hours at 110. But the
pain threshold is only about 106-108.
Besides in the single family dwellings, a large number of burn cases originate in
apartment complexes, hotel/motels, and housing projects. The incidents are due to
thermostats set too high, faulty thermostats, and lack or malfunction of temperature and
pressure balancing valves at the point of source. The burn injuries in single family
dwellings occur for some of the same reasons and also due to the layering effects in small
hot water heaters.
These are all accidents that could be, and should be, prevented. This is because the
residential owner or renter, and the apartment renter is invariably in the inferior
position of knowledge regarding the burn time-temperature relations, the physics of
equipment malfunctions, and appropriate remedial actions.
As a consequence the identities at risk includes the housing owner, the leasing agent,
the maintenance plumbing company, the plumbing designer, the plumbing contractor, and the
hot water heater manufacturer.
In this seminar, the technical aspects of hot water scald burn will be discussed in
detail by Dr. Bynum using various charts and diagrams. In those situations where due
diligence is not given to the hot water temperature system, the possible consequences and
legal liabilities will be discussed by Attorney Petri and Mr. Myers.
Burns
