Babysitter Tips for Preventing Burn Injuries

Posted in blog,Uncategorized on June 23, 2016

Whether it’s your first day with a new family or you’re comfortable with the kids in your care, babysitting is demanding. You must look out for the safety of the children in your care every minute throughout the day. One small mistake can lead to a life-changing accident. If you’re worried about preventing burns while on the job, here are a few tips to help keep the kids in your care safe.

In the Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most common locations children sustain burn injuries. Thermal burns can occur easily in the kitchen during normal cooking activities, where scalding liquids, hot surfaces, and boiling oils are all potential threats. When you prepare meals around the children in your care, never allow children to stand near the stove. Don’t allow them to stand on chairs near the stove or in front of the oven.

Don’t leave hot drinks or hot food within a child’s reach – instead, keep it away until it cools enough to handle safely. If you’re cooking with hot oils, enforce a perimeter around the stove where children cannot pass. Put up child barriers if you have to or put tape on the floor as a “Do Not Cross” line. If possible, have children play just outside the kitchen where you can keep an eye on them but they are not at risk of burns.

Avoid holding a baby or infant while cooking hot food or drinking hot liquids. Even if you feel confident in your abilities to multitask, babies themselves can act unpredictably. Don’t heat baby food or bottles in the microwave, as they can become too hot and scald children. Children sitting on the floor in the kitchen can be at risk for burns if you’re handling pots of boiling water. Again, one child’s surprising move can cause you to fall and scald the child. Turn pot handles away from the edge of the stovetop to prevent children from accidentally overturning the pot.

During Bath Time

If part of your responsibilities as a babysitter is to manage bath time with the children, make sure you know how to safely operate the water faucet and monitor the temperature. Test the water temperature with your own hand or a bath thermometer to ensure that it won’t scald the child before putting him or her into the water. Never leave a child alone in the bath or allow him or her to play with the faucets, as the child could accidentally turn on the hot water.

What to Do if There’s a Fire or Burn Injury

If a fire starts in the kitchen or elsewhere in the house, get the children out of the house immediately. Hopefully, the house you’re babysitting in has fire alarms to warn you of a fire in time to evacuate. Ask parents what their evacuation plan is before babysitting if possible. Follow their evacuation plan and get children to a safe place away from the house. Call emergency services if necessary.

If a child sustains a burn injury on your watch, don’t panic. For minor burns, use a home remedy such as putting the burn under  running water or placing  wet black tea bags on the burn. For moderate to severe burns, call 9-1-1 and run the burn under water until help arrives. Never place ice on a burn, as this stops blood circulation and can make a burn injury worse.

When you need an experienced child burn injury attorney in San Diego, contact Liljegren Law Group. We can help you protect your rights as a childcare provider or babysitter and help you understand what your responsibilities are while babysitting. Call (619) 460-0109 for a free case evaluation.