TORONTO - Safe Kids Canada, the national injury prevention program of The Hospital for Sick Children, congratulates Ontario on being the first province to adopt changes which will require household hot water be delivered at a safer temperature in order to prevent scald burn injuries.

Ontario's new Building Code Act provision will be effective as of September 1, 2004. The code has been amended to specify that the maximum hot water temperature supplied to fixtures in residential occupancies shall not exceed 49°C. Currently, most Canadian homes have hot water temperatures of 60°C. At this temperature, a child's skin can burn in less than one second. Elderly and disabled people are also at increased risk for serious burn injuries. The regulatory change in Ontario's new building code will help lower the risk of burn injuries occurring.

"During the last three years, Safe Kids Canada has led an initiative with our public health and injury prevention partners across Canada by calling for regulatory and standards changes to safeguard home hot tap water temperatures," says Allyson Hewitt, executive director, Safe Kids Canada. "We are thrilled that these efforts have set a standard in Ontario and we hope that other provinces and territories will soon follow."

Over 150 children in Canada are burned by hot tap water each year. For children, the aftermath of these burns is painful and emotionally traumatic. Repeated surgery is usually required over many years in order to repair damaged skin as a child grows. Safe Kids Canada's advocacy campaign is aimed at raising awareness among key decision-makers of the dangers caused by hot tap water temperatures. Research shows that simply by reducing the hot water temperatures found in homes, severe burn injuries can be significantly reduced.

"The McGuinty government has responded to hot-water-scalding concerns raised by Safe Kids Canada with changes to the Ontario Building Code," said Municipal Affairs Minister John Gerretsen. "These changes will safeguard Ontarians, especially children, seniors and persons with disabilities. Healthy and safe communities are a priority, and our change to the building code is one more step towards fulfilling that commitment."

Existing households will also be better protected by recent changes from the Canadian Standards Association, regulating electrical hot water tanks. "As Canada's leading developer of standards and codes, one of our aims is to enhance public safety. Making products more efficient and promoting safety for families through the standards process has been a real cooperative effort between industry, regulators and consumer groups," says John Walter, senior director, Standards Development, Canadian Standards Association.

The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes is currently reviewing a National Plumbing Code amendment that will require hot tap water temperatures not exceed 49ºC for all new Canadian homes and a final vote by Commission members will be held in the spring.

Safe Kids Canada urges families across Canada to lower their hot water thermostats to 49°C or to purchase anti-scald devices and to always check their hot water temperatures in order to prevent burn injury. Safe Kids Canada's scald and burn prevention advocacy is funded in part through the generosity of Hydro One.

For more information visit: www.safekidscanada.ca.

For more information, contact: Lisa Lipkin, Public Affairs The Hospital for Sick Children (416) 813-6380 lisa.lipkin@sickkids.ca