Posted By clare coles Hi I wonder if someone can help me? At my husband's workplace there is a kitchen for staff to use to eat their meals etc. The taps are separate (ie hot and cold) and have signs displaying this. One of his members of staff scalded their hand on the hot tap yesterday and said that the taps are WRONG and they should be MIXER taps!! Does anyone know any legislation supporting this? Any help would be great, thanks Clare

Posted By clare coles MT Many thanks for your reply. The water apparently has checks to make sure temperature does not exceed safety levels etc, I just wanted to know if there was legislation as this person was adament that there was????

Posted By J Knight Hi Clare, the only legislation would be the Care Standards Regulations (England and Wales) and they would apply to Registered Care Homes, Independent Hospitals and the like (NHS is also strictly regulated by HSE on this but I think just under MHSW Regs). In these premises the law doesn't actually require any particular kind of tap, rather it sets very strict limits on the permitted maximum temperature, and even then only in areas where service users/patients would be at risk. Not in staff rooms. So if its not care premises there is no law, and even there it doesn't have to be mixer taps, even in care areas, John

Posted By Merv Newman "scalding" means blistering. At least. Hot water systems, as Holmzey says, run at 60 to 63 °C Directly holding your hands into a 63° stream might cause some temporary pain and erythema but few people will maintain their hands in the stream long enough to produce blistering. Unless they are into the "self-harm" mode. I would suggest that the phrase "that hurt" rather than "that scalded" is more correct. And who doesn't know how mixer taps work ? Gawd. Merv

Posted By peter gotch Hi Clare There are various U.K. standards for maximum water [and, in some cases associated metal work] temperatures in bathing environments, which take account of research into the relationship between water temperature and the exposure time associated with severe burns. Various of these standards are referenced in Building Research Establishment [BRE] Information Paper IP14/03 “Preventing hot water scalding in bathrooms : using TMVs”. NHS Estates Health Guidance Note “Safe hot water and surface temperatures” gives guidance on maximum point of delivery water temperatures for a range of applications. These are set out below. MAXIMUM SET HOT WATER TEMPERATURES Application Maximum temperature oC Bidet 38.00 Shower 41.00 Washbasin 41* Bath 44.00 Bath 46* Notes * For washbasins, washing under running water is assumed ** Bath fill temperatures of more than 44oC should only be considered in exceptional circumstances where there are particular difficulties in achieving an adequate bathing temperature. If a temperature of more than 44oC is to be used then a safe means of preventing access to the hot water should be devised to protect vulnerable patients. Standard practice in procurement within the NHS and e.g. care setting environments is to specify a maximum point of delivery water temperature of 43oC, and a similar maximum temperature for accessible associated metalwork, e.g. radiators. At paragraph 20 of Local Authority Circular [LAU] 79/5 at www.hse.govluk/lau/lacs/79-5.htm, the Health & Safety Executive [HSE] comment that it was consulted as to whether 43oC should be retained as the limit in NHS Estates and other guidance. They add that “However, no convincing evidence of a significant increased risk, at the higher temperature of 44oC, could be found. BRE note the findings of research into injuries associated with exposure to hot water: “Severe scalds in seconds The degree of scalding depends on the temperature and volume of hot water, and the length of time the body is exposed to it. However, it can take only seconds for a severe scald to occur. Research (Waller et al, 1993) indicates that: As the temperature of the water increases above 50°C, the duration of exposure needed to suffer third-degree burns decreases rapidly. Healthy adult skin requires 30 seconds of exposure to water at 54°C – 55°C before third-degreeburning occurs, but only 5 seconds at 60°C and less than one second at 70°C. However, the skin of children and the elderly is even more sensitive to extreme temperatures.” Regards, Peter

Posted By Lee Mac There is no legislation which dictates that mixer taps should/shouldn't be used. I appreciate that a burn from a hot water tap can be quite nasty, toes & bath taps don't mix, cmon we all have done it, but we lived to see another day. It is down to a bit of common sense. Clarkeson will have a field day with this one!!!