There may be little worse than burns and scalds involving kids in your home, especially if it could have been prevented. It would be even worse were the accident to happen to one of your children’s friends, and you were sued as a result. Below are some ways you can make your home safer, and hopefully avoid any burn or scald-related claims on your homeowners insurance in Maine.
According to KidSafe USA, spilled hot food, or liquid and steam, account for the majority of scalds. Scalds are more common among younger children around one year of age, whereas older children tend to get contact burns, for example caused by playing with matches. KidSafe also notes that almost 20% of US burn cases involve children under five.
Prevention Tips
There are two important changes you could make to help keep your home safer. Set the temperature of your water heater a little lower. You can also purchase anti-scald fittings for taps and shower heads. These automatically turn the water off if it passes the set temperature.
Childproofing Tips
Forks or keys pushed into an electrical outlet can generate an electric shock, leading to burns. Purchase covers for all outlets your child might be able to reach.
It may be best to keep your children and their friends out of the kitchen altogether. Where this is not possible, never leave them unattended. An accident can happen in a moment, leading to a seriously ill child and a claim on your homeowners insurance in Maine.