Scalding tap water is another frequent cause of burns. Kealey suggests you keep your hot water heater set at a safe temperature, around 125 degrees. Children and elderly persons have thin skin and can be burned quickly by hot water. They also tend to be slower at escaping scalding water. You can be seriously burned when trying to light a furnace or water heater.
Invisible gases can pool in the air undetected, creating the danger of an explosion.
If you get a minor burn, he suggests you immerse it in cold water. Apply a clean, dry cloth to a moderate burn. If you are worried about the cloth sticking to your burn, wrap it in plastic wrap or waxed paper, Kealey suggests. A second degree burn, which generally requires medical care, should be treated as an open wound because it may become infected if unprotected. Third degree burns need urgent medical care.