Safer showering with Applied Energy Products

This section facilitates new information resources for people working in nursing homes and/or healthcare professions - and for those working within the social housing sector handling vulnerable groups.

Rationale

Every year over 100,000 people need to visit hospitals because they have been injured by burns and scalds. A further 250,000 people visit GP surgeries. Many of these people will have been injured whilst bathing or showering. Vulnerable groups of people such as children, the elderly, mentally ill, sensory impaired or those with mobility problems are particularly at risk.

Helping the professionals

This section has been developed to draw attention to the potential hazards of showering and provide advice on how to overcome them. It aims to help reduce the number of accidents caused whilst showering by recommending products and actions to make showering much safer and less stressful.

This section also provides details of current legislative information concerning water temperature, in both domestic and non-domestic environments such as healthcare premises and care homes.

Safer information

Scald injuries are severe, traumatic and extremely painful. Injuries can cover large areas of the body and treatment, which may include skin grafting, can go on for many years.

Many people do not realise that scalding can occur well below the boiling point of water. It is common in households for the temperature of hot tap water to be set at around 50°C. Scalding can occur at temperatures above 45° C.

At 60°C second degree burns occur in just three seconds and third degree burns in just five seconds.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry’s publication ‘Burns and Scald Accidents in the Home (June 1999)’, 14 per cent of scalding accidents occur in the bathroom.

So what can be done to make the bathroom, particularly when showering, a safer environment?

The law

In domestic environments, common law regarding scalding accidents generally prevails and it is unusual for legal action to occur in a domestic context. However, there are definite legal implications and legislative standards that apply to people responsible for premises, such as landlords and operators of residential homes and health establishments.

For people operating residential and healthcare establishments legislative information is provided in the Scalding Risks from Hot Water in Health and Social Care document which can be found at www.hse.gov.uk

Further legislative information and guidelines about hot water temperatures and the risk of scalding is provided by the Thermal Mixing Valve Association who have produced a document called the Thermal Mixing Valve Association Guide to the Control of Hot Water Temperatures in Domestic Properties www.tmva.org.uk.

The British Electrotechnical Approvals Board has been driven by market forces to introduce a mark, which can act as a standard on products suitable for vulnerable groups in society such as the elderly, children and those with special care requirements. More information is available on www.beab.co.uk.

The UK Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are responsible for the regulation of almost all the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in Britain.

The Scalding Risks from Hot Water in Health and Social Care document can be downloaded from this site. www.hse.gov.uk

Dilemmas

A difficult dilemma for people operating premises such as nursing homes care establishments is do they keep water temperatures high to eradicate the Legionella bacteria or do they lower the temperature to protect people from being scalded.

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria and is commonly associated with water systems in large buildings such as hospitals and offices. It is a relatively uncommon infection in that about 100-200 cases of the disease are reported each year in the UK. Infection is brought about by inhalation of fine water droplets containing the viable bacteria.

The conditions which promote the growth of Legionella in water systems is a water temperature in the range of 20°C to 45°C.

Legionella bacteria die at temperatures above 55°C. Best practice dictates that hot water is stored at temperatures of not less than 60°C to prevent bacterial contamination. However, a temperature high enough to kill Legionella bacteria is also high enough to cause severe scalding.

Many nursing home or healthcare establishment operators take the decision that the prevention of Legionella is more important than or reducing the risk of scalding. However, this problem can be solved by installing thermostatically controlled products, such as thermostatically controlled showers or mixing valves at water outlets.
Both enable a safe pre-set water temperature at point of use, whilst allowing the hot water storage tank to be kept at a temperature high enough to kill off Legionella bacteria.

FAQs

What do i need to consider when installing an electric shower?

There are general safety aspects to take into consideration when deciding to install a new shower.

For example, it is important to only use a reputable plumber. Recommendation by word of mouth is generally the best way to ensure this.

When replacing an existing electric shower with a new electric shower it is important to be aware of the effects of the differences in power ratings (the kW figure).

The new shower may have a higher power rating than the original shower and this may mean that the electric cables may also need replacing. There is a potential risk of fire if this is not carried out. If in doubt, seek the advice of a qualified electrician.

Any shower installed should be manufactured to meet BEAB, WRAS, CE and IPX4 safety and quality standards.

What is the recommended cable size for electric showers?

The cable size required varies depending on the maximum heat setting.

For 8.5kW the recommended cable size is 6-10mm2

For 9.5kW the recommended cable size is 6-10mm2

For 10.8kW the recommended cable size is 10-16mm2

Is there a shower on the market that is endorsed by the RNIB?

The Selectronic Plus is the only shower on the market that has been approved by the RNIB and amongst others, has also received the BEAB CARE Mark.

What amp fuse is recommended for use with electric showers?

This depends on the maximum heat setting of the shower.

For 8.5kW the recommended fuse rating is 35 amps

For 9.5kW the recommended fuse rating is 40 amps

For 10.8kW the recommended fuse rating is 45 amps

What is the BEAB CARE Mark?

As part of their ongoing commitment by the British Electrical Appliances Board to increase product safety, BEAB have developed a new standard for instantaneous water heaters, such as those used in Showers.

The BEAB CARE Mark will be awarded to products that can demonstrate they comply with the additional requirements to existing safety standards that take into account the needs of people in care situations such as the elderly and people with disabilities.

The need for safe limits to prevent scalding is absolutely necessary, especially for vulnerable members of the population who may have limited manoeuvrability or ability to react to changing situations.

Selectronic shower: BEAB Care Mark & RNIB endorsed