A senior paramedic has warned parents about the dangers of using a garden hose in the summer – after a child suffered serious burns from hot water.
Nikki Jurcutzhas paramedic for eight years with Ambulance victoryhe explained how water in a hose can quickly drop to between 55C and 60C under scorching sunlight when not running.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Paramedics warning about garden hoses.
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The founder of Education of Tiny Hearts shared a video showing the water reaching almost 50C after the hose was left in the sun on a 32C day.
“That’s why I always run the hose for 60 seconds before use – or it could result in serious burns if the water splashes on your child,” said the mother.
“So this is your reminder: When you’re outside with your little ones and you think about using the sprinkler or the hose to cool it, run the water on the grass for 60 seconds or until the water runs cold before spray it on somebody.”
The founder of Education of Tiny Hearts advise if your child sustains deep burns and blisters on his face, throat, genitals, hands or airways, call Triple-0.
“Cool the burn with cool running water for 20 minutes while you wait,” he said.
His video was accompanied by a harrowing picture of American boy Nicholas Woodger who suffered second-degree burns after being doused with hot water from a garden hose.
“A garden hose exposed to direct sunlight during the summer can heat the water in the hose (not flowing) to 54C to 60C which can cause burns especially to children and pets,” the department of Las Vegas Fire & Rescue said in mid-2018.
“Let the water run for a few minutes to cool before spraying on people or animals.”
Many parents thanked Nikki for sharing an “eye-opening” memory about garden hoses.
“This is scary,” said one mother.
Another shared: “This is one of my biggest concerns. Even our indoor taps burn when we run them in the cold here in Brisbane so we’ve told the kids to run for a while then quickly test with the his arm after it has been running for a while.
One suggested: “It is something so simple and minor, it can be forgotten in the moment. Even I needed this reminder and I watered the plants in a nursery.”
Another added: “I live in the Netherlands and the pipes here are on most of the time. I have never had hot/hot water from the hose. So if I go on holiday to a warmer country (or in a place where the tube is outside) would definitely make the same mistake.
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