Preventing scalding hot water in nursing care bathrooms

(04/01/2008)

Honeywell is supporting the warning by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that nursing care homes should follow HSE guidelines to avoid scalding hot water in bathrooms. The latest HSE warning follows the prosecution of care home managers whose staff placed an elderly resident in scalding hot water, causing fatal injuries.

“Scalding is wholly preventable and the HSE guidelines are clear: care managers must prevent scalding hot water in basins, showers and baths by installing tamperproof thermostatic mixing devices,” said Martin Strom, Business Manager for Honeywell Water Products. “Yet the deaths and serious injuries caused by scalding continue.

“Safe hot water systems include fail-safe thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs). In healthcare, TMVs certified to Buildcert TMV3, such as Honeywell TM200VP, must be fitted. Valves to the domestic TMV2 standard, such as Honeywell TM300, are acceptable for most other premises but a risk assessment should be carried out to determine if the facilities are used by vulnerable people, such as the elderly, young children or the mentally or physically disabled. If so, TMV3 valves should be installed to provide the maximum safety level.”

Honeywell explains that the problem of scalding water has become more acute in communal and public buildings because, to prevent risks from Legionella, hot water must be stored at a temperature of at least 60 degrees C and distributed at 50 degrees minimum – dangerously hot for bathers. So there must be fail-safe mixing control at the outlet to prevent scalding.

At water temperatures over 50ºC there is a risk of scalding which rises with increasing temperatures. For situations where whole body immersion takes place, such as baths and showers, water temperatures should be controlled to 43ºC.

The elderly are at particular risk because their skin tends to be less sensitive, says Honeywell, so they might not be able to pull away from hot water quickly enough to avoid scalding. They also tend to be less agile and so are at risk of injury while trying to escape from a scalding bath or a blast of hot water from a shower. Scalding injuries often cover a large area of the body, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality.”

Honeywell thermostatic mixing valves employ a highly sensitive wax element which controls the hot and cold water inlets to provide a safe uniform temperature. They also ensure safety by cutting off the hot water inlet automatically if the cold supply fails. They are designed for convenient “under-basin” and “under-bath” installation. A lockable safety cap displays the temperature set point and prevents unauthorised adjustment.

Related categories:  Brassware and taps   Hot water generation and supply   Monitoring and recording equipment   Residential applications   Special needs, elderly and disabled   Taps   Testing devices 

Print version | Email to a friend | View other articles